We are Strong, Too

Tuesday, September 11th , 2018 was a rough day for some of us.

For most of us, it was remembering the tragic event that happened 17 years ago,

The incident that killed so many innocent lives and significantly changed the lives of so many more.

But for me, that day was one of the worst days in my life.

Not because I hated how ever since that day, 17 years ago,the media has portrayed people like me as horrible, cruel individuals. Even though I did.

Not because I had to prepare myself for the dirty looks I would get.

And, thankfully, I didn't get any.

I was devastated because 

my grandmother was having an open heart surgery. 

My Grandmother, someone who looked so small beside my grandpa,

but bossed him around, despite their 10 year age difference,

was in the hospital?

My Grandmother, who was the strongest,

person I've ever known, emotionally.

Who was so cute, head always behind a sewing machine,

making dresses and scarves for her granddaughters.

Who never complained about anything,

who thought that she could, and would, survive through anything,

having given birth to 11 children,

seen a couple of them die in her arms,

watched 3 of her siblings die before her eyes,

and her husband go through a stroke.

And when she did complain to her son for the first time,

saying that her lungs felt that they were burning,

we knew something was wrong. 

After multiple tests, the doctors found that

80-100 % of her blood vessels were blocked.

Oh, Grandmother! You were going though so much,

but you never said a word. Until now.

I've noticed that there are two things that

bring families close, for the most part.

Weddings and Medical Emergencies.

And in my grandmother's situation,

everyone had forgotten about all the beef 

they had with each other.

45 + family members, literally half of our kingdom

occupied a waiting room made for 20 people, 

to pray for Grandma's recovery.

The whole procedure took about half a day,

and we all waited to see her, impatient and anxious.

And when we were allowed to come in,

I immediately wished that I didn't. 

There were tubes everywhere,

down her throat, up her legs,

A crowd of monitors and medical staff around her.

Grandma looked too small for the bed,

her eyes swollen shut, the noise of her breathing 

- shushhhh shushhhhh-

was the only thing that calmed me down.

An hour later, Grandma opened her eyes,

and looked at all the faces around the room.

" Salam, Dadi Mummi. Aap kaisi hai?"

Hi, Grandma. How you doing?, I asked.

The breathing tube had been taken out, 

and she croaked out something that

I will never forget, with a raspy breath:

" I'm right in front of you. Why don't you tell me 

how I'm doing?"

My Grandma was back, and her recovery had begun.

She asked us if we ate yet, back to worrying 

about everyone except her self. Again.

Back to smiling, her blue eyes sparkling,

Back to hiding the pain that she felt,

just so that she can see our faces, to be happy.

When I look for the positives in this situation, I found that

Today, my Grandma is in her final steps of healing,

That she's walking by herself, climbing up and down the stairs by herself,

That she doesn't look she had a heart surgery four months ago.

And I'm so grateful for it.

Now, if my grandma suffered through so much,

and she survived through all of it.

All of her losses and pain,

everything that broke her heart into pieces, 

She persevered through it all,

and she's still living and breathing, 

then so can we.

We can get through each and everyday,

We can work our butts off and get good grades.

We can practice well for our SATs,

for tests and finals,

and we can get scores that'll make us happy.

We can get through college app season, 

through all the nerve-wrecking tension,

because I did, thank God,

and we will get into a college of our choice.

We can get through failed relationships,

romantic and friendships,

and we will find someone who'll love us.

We can and we will be successful.

Because we are strong, too.