The best of who I am is as a direct result of my maternal Grandmother’s influence. She left us over 20 years ago and not a day goes by that I don't think of her. I think of her wisdom, her kindness, her work ethics, her fierceness, her strength, and her tiny 5' 2" energetic self. She taught me about goodness, and decency, and self-sacrificing love. I miss and love her still.
I thought of my Grandma Leah as I watched Trevor Noah interview his own beautiful 91-year-old grandmother. Gogo, as he called her, who lived under the oppressive, dehumanizing South African apartheid regime, took her grandson back to a time when the black majority was ruled by a tiny minority who stole their natural resources — land, gold, diamond — strove mightily to deprive them of their dignity, and took their lives at will. That Nomalizo Frances Noah survived the trauma of apartheid and still has a twinkle in her eye is a testament to her indomitable spirit. I watched her with respectful eyes and a heart full of longing. To me, it’s a must-see interview.
Noah's grandmother said that Mandela was like their "God on Earth." She said that black people were not allowed to be nurses, teachers or policemen, so Mandela's career as a lawyer was inspiring.
"For young people, it's very hard for them to understand how scary it was to be a black person in living in South Africa during the time. But everybody was scared of the police," he said.
Noah's grandmother recalled being woken up at 3 a.m. by the police and being told to leave her house.
Noah added that he heard people say that the apartheid was a better time in South Africa than its current state. "It wouldn't be better," she said. She then shared a story about having to dig for potatoes without pay and if someone died from exhaustion, they were forced to continue digging.
The interview starts at 3:23...for those who don’t have 11 minutes to spare. :)
********
The tweet below reminded me of just how awesome grandmothers can be and prompted me to do this diary.
How wonderful is this grandmother?
Happy New Year, Kossacks!