This past October, I lost my paternal grandfather and my maternal grandmother within three days of each other.
My Grandma had lived with us and has been in my life since the moment I was born. It’s been a transition realizing and accepting that she is gone, but, I know that she truly is with me and I know she is at peace.
I remember when I was in elementary school, Grandma taught us how to bake chocolate chip cookies, stirring all of the ingredients by hand. By the time I was ten, she instilled my love of baking enough for me to ask for a kitchen aid for Christmas. I always loved watching the Food Network with her after I came home from school and she’d always have something prepared for us when we arrived. As I got older, she loved telling me about her adventures watching the Travel Channel. I was always amused and fascinated by her eagerness to share the information and knowledge that she learned from her stationary treks around the world from her Lazy Boy.
It wasn’t until I was gone for college that I realized how precious my time was with her. I remember joking with her when I was younger, “you’re going to live to be 100” and she laughed and refused to accept that. That’s when I knew she wasn’t going to live forever and I realized how to treasure every moment shared.
After graduation and returning home from college, I started documenting her, making portraits of her during my visits. Grandma and I sat and talked, often walking down to the bench by the waterfront watching the birds and squirrels. I recorded our conversations as she told me about her life, her memories, and hints about the woman she was before she was my loving grandma. She helped me understand more about my heritage and how much of my uniqueness comes from her. She gifted me with my middle name, Kiyomi, which means purity in Japanese.
I had such a bond with her, as she was able to tell me things she wouldn’t normally say, which made me feel that much more of a connection with her; it also made me realize how human she was. She explained to me how she saw herself through 25-year-old eyes, and how hard it was growing old; but, I reassured her to know how important she was to me during my life and how much love we shared. As I grow older into my 20s now, I understand how important these years will be and I truly realize how precious and fortunate I have been to have my first 23 years of this adventure with her.
Grandma Chizuko – passed at 88 years old on October 25, 2013 // Memorial Service on December 8, 2013
My grandfather lived in Massachusetts and I have fond memories of visiting him and my Nana back in my earlier youth when I was 7, 10, 17 and 22; most recently this past February for my cousin’s wedding. He always had an amazingly sharp mind and wit that always kept me on my toes. It was as if the years hadn’t gone by at all and things always felt natural and true.
Grandpa Jim – passed at 89 years old on October 22, 2013 // Memorial Service on November 23, 2013
Emily Kiyomi Photography 