I remember watching that movie and thinking man how cool would it be to be a Spartan and then I find out I am. SPARTA!!!! LOL. Yes that movie is exaggerated for the big screen but the Spartan did hold off the Persian army with only...
300 Spartans, 700 Thespians, 400 Thebans and perhaps a few hundred others, most of whom were killed...
Anyway, my Yia-yia and I had a special bond that I didn't realize until I was older. I always knew she was an incredible woman; if only she had been given a chance she so could have been anything she wanted.
Unlike my Papou my Yia-yia was so intelligent (not to say my Papou was dumb he was just not educated & was a bit ignorant); she never spoke much and always let her husband shine because that is the Greek thing to do (especially for her generation). I also found out that my grandparents marriage was arranged. I cannot imagine being told you have to marry this person. I also found out that my grandfather had a major crush on her sister Sophia first. Talk about AWKWARD LOL, but they were married for a long time and when my Yia-yia got sick my Papou took care of her like I had never seen before. That is true love and it killed me to watch her get sick and not able to do anything as I was still recovering from my own fight with cancer.
You see my Yia-yia passed away from Uterine cancer and I found out just a few years ago that when I was sick with my own cancer (Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma) that she prayed and prayed that the cancer be taken from me and given to her; w/in a year of me going into remission my Yia-yia was diagnosed with Uterine cancer. Now tell me that she didn't make mine go away and her get it. I never knew this and to this day I believe that she is one of the reasons I am here. You hear about miracles happening all the time, you hear about things that are unexplainable and my Yia-yia had faith like no one else. She was given a year and she lasted for over 5 and for the most part did really well. The last year was the worst and on January 2nd 2006 she passed away in my father's arms. My father is born on Jan 1st and she waited until after the holidays and after his birthday to finally let go. This was my Yia-yia,
The funny thing about her was she complained (as long as I can remember) that no one loved her, that she couldn't take it anymore and that she was going to die but when she was sick and could say whatever she wanted she never complained. She was always cheerful and said, "I'm okay I'll be fine." This was my Yia-yia
One of my fondest memories of her is watching her cook & then eating the wonderful meals she prepared. She was always in the kitchen with a towel over her shoulder but I don't think I ever saw her sit down and eat with the family. No she ate after everyone else had finished, after all the dishes had been washed. Then she would usually eat off the plates that had been left because she did not believe in waste. Even the water she used to wash the dishes was used to water her garden. This was my Yia-yia
She always made me homemade french fries and to this day I cannot make them as good as hers. I cannot for the life of me figure out what she did that just made them taste so damn good. Then again it just could have been the love she put into them that just made them taste a little bit better. She also made me Loukamada a Greek desert that is small balls of friend dough (my favorite). I not only like eating the fried dough when it was done but I loved eating the raw dough (I know ewww). She knew I loved the dough as much as the finished Loukamada and always left a bit in the bowl for me to eat. This was my Yia-yia
One year when I was visiting Greece (I was about 5) we were in our country house in Salimena and she was making me Loukamada. Now this house was nothing grand, it was basically 4 walls and one big room that was split into sections with dividers. My Papou built it with his own hands. I think he built the Athens home as well which was a normal house with rooms and even 2 more apartments downstairs in the back.
Anyway, this house was made from concrete and the floor was concrete itself. We did not have much counter space and my Yia-yia put the hot oil from the pot onto the floor to cool. I did not see this and stepped right into. My little 5 year old foot fit perfectly into that pot and I burnt my foot pretty badly. What is amazing to this day is that I do not have any scars or marks from that burn and I remember a HUGE bubble (blister) formed on the top of my foot.
Do you know how come there is no scar and that I was okay? It's b/c my Yia-yia used one of her old wives tricks and poured every tomato sauce, tomato paste that you can imagine onto my foot. I guess there is something in tomato that takes away the burn. I remember thinking even at that age how weird it was that they are putting tomato all over my foot. I remember driving to the hospital (in a taxi b/c my Papou only had a motorcycle) and the hospital bandaged me up and we were sent on our way. My Yia-yia felt so badly but it was an accident and she had told me that the pot was there but I so wanted some more dough. My mother was so upset when she found out but I never blamed my Yia-yia b/c it was an accident and you put hot things onto the floor to cool. It's what they always did (well not anymore after the accident). I honestly could not tell you whether it was my right or left foot b/c I am serious when I tell you there is not one scar on my foot. I definitely had at least a 2nd degree burn so it is pretty amazing what she did. This was my Yia-yia.
She never spoke English but we all know she understood so much more than she let on. She used to sit and just listen to everyone talk and I believe this was her gift b/c when she did speak her words were wise and her words were kind. When I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma my grandparents took the next flight from Greece and came to the US to be with me. I remember I was still in the hospital when they arrived and I asked the nurses if it would be okay to be disconnected from the IVs b/c I didn't want to upset them but it didn't work b/c I saw the look in my Paou's eyes and he was scared. I had never seen him like this and I heard that he started to cry when they told him I was sick. My Yia-yia now she was the strong one and was so amazing; she never left my side and came to my apartment to cook and clean. She was well in her 70s by this and it was not an easy thing for them to come to the States but it didn't matter b/c they were here for me.
When I got the phone call that she was now sick with her own cancer I remember saying to my father how is this possible? How can she be healthy one day and then sick the next. I now know it was b/c she asked for it so it would be taken from me. I remember visiting her the year before she died. My father and I went to Greece in April and usually the trip entails us going to the islands but this time it was not about vacation it was about spending as much time as we could with her. I saw my Papou take care of her and realized how much he loved her and how lost he would be once she was gone.
The time that I spent there with her was one of the best b/c we just sat and talked for hours on end. She gave me her wisdom and she gave me her love. I miss her dearly and as I sit writing this I wish I was able to tell you everything about her but alas we do not have time nor space for that. My Yia-yia was an amazing woman and I know in my heart that she is the person that has been watching over me these last couple of years. Not too long ago I was in my room and all of a sudden I felt all this LOVE. It was like the light had finally come into my dark room and it was my Yia-Yia. I know it was, I don't care what anyone says or those who don't believe b/c in my heart I know she is here with me. You don't have to be religious to believe that your loved ones are still with you. Who cares if there is no proof or if someone tells you, you are wrong to believe this or that... Isn't that was faith is about? Believing in something that you cannot prove? I am not a religious person and I do not believe in any one religion but I do believe in love and family and energy. If that makes me stupid or irrational then so be it b/c that love I felt that day was needed. It made me realize that I am not alone and no matter what anyone says or does to me I will survive b/c the energy around me is my Yia-ya.
I end this post knowing that my Yia-yia is reading this as I write it. The writing might not be sophisticated like some of my other posts and it might be silly to think that she is here with me but it makes me smile knowing (believing) that someday I will see her and my Papou again. That I will see all of my loved ones again. This is my Yia-yia I hope you enjoyed getting to know her just a little bit.
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