grandparents are the rock of a family. the experience and the wisdom. the heart and soul. the laughter and the tears. only my maternal grandmother is still alive and she brings me more joy than most other people i know. she's adorable! i never knew my dad's dad, but my dad's mom and my paternal grandfather were big parts of my life growing up. and continue to be a part of me today. they passed away 2 days apart from each other. i got back from my grandmother's funeral to a message that my grandfather had died. it was devastating. but they taught me so much. and i think the most important lessons are the value of family, the meaning of love and human connection, a sense of humor is the best medicine, and age is only a number. i remember telling my students that i had gotten a letter from my grandmother. they couldn't believe it-they couldn't understand. "sir, tapaiko baajiko chitti, ko le lekhi dinubhayo?" "ke? aphale lekheko!" "abuiii! hajurko grandmother (they used to throw in english words whenever they could) le lekhna janubhae chha?" and it occured to me that all of their grandmothers, and most of their mothers, were illiterate. and i couldn't believe or understand that. it represented a HUGE difference between america and nepal. but it is refreshing to see all of these nanis and bahinis in school today. surely if a country wants to move ahead, education and equality of all people is the best way to start. sorry i strayed from the topic, but that's my 2 paisa. la.