Presence
As we seek to make lasting change, I am reminded of my Swiss grandparents, and the strength and inner awareness they exhibited. They survived two world wars, experiencing tremendous losses yet managed to live far into their 90s.
What was it like with them?
During school vacations, I lived with them. Those days were peaceful and simple; there was balance between doing and being. Nothing was rushed.
I slept on a horsehair mattress in my late father's bedroom. My grandmother Rosa tucked me in each night under white heavy cotton sheets she had starched and ironed and a military wool blanket. She topped it off with a heavy, thick down duvet. The heat turned off at night.
When I awoke in the morning, the tip of my nose was frigid, yet my body was warm. Grandfather Werner stomped down the outdoor cellar steps to feed wood into the furnace. While the radiators warmed, Rosa clunked around the kitchen making coffee.
After sitting down, Rosa said grace and skimmed the skin off the top of the boiled raw milk that had been delivered by a farmer. We feasted on bread, butter, alpine cheese, and jam.
In winter, Werner took me sledding or skiing, or if the weather was inclement, we played Yahtzee, Checkers, or Chutes and Ladders.
In summer, I pushed a mower around the garden or we went for walks. Around four in the afternoon, they pulled out chocolate and offered me one or two pieces.
After dinner, which resembled breakfast, Werner did the dishes while listening to the radio. He joined us in the sitting room to watch TV. Rosa and I cuddled on the sofa under a blanket she had made; he reclined on his chair.
Rosa went to church every Sunday while I stayed home with Werner. On the garden terrace, he sat smoking his pipe. In between puffs and the lighting of tobacco with matches, he looked at the sky and mountains. The smoke rose around his bushy eyebrows that poked out from under his cap. Rosa kept them trimmed; she joked he'd look too much like a devil otherwise.
I felt safe and loved. Now, I understand how mindful and present my grandparents were.