Grandmothers

Grandmothers are the pioneering influencers. I realised this after reading 'PapaMa's portrait' authored by my daughter Snehal A S. In the book she has delineated how much her thinking was influenced by my mother. Do read the book if you haven't already done so. It's available on Amazon at https://amzn.in/d/0dXjuxjG

Of course she grew up in a joint family, hence her being influenced by my mother was a no brainer as grandmothers are the mainstays of any joint family.

Thinking back, I find it fascinating that even I was influenced by my grandmother who lived alone miles away in a village and our only meetings were our annual visits. 

I learnt morality and ethics at her feet through her narrating stories to me, not mythological but from real life as she experienced it.

We used to exchange letters every couple of months. She could neither read nor write English so my letters to her written in English would be translated in Kannada to her by the postman and she would dictate her letter in Kannada for the postman to translate and write to me in English.

Distance wasn't a problem. Grandmother had a solution for everything. There was no 'privacy'. Our lives were open books/letters.

Grandmothers are always at the helm and dispensing answers to all questions without one even noticing it.

They are the anchors and captains of every ship that sails in the ocean of life.

They are the OG influencers.

They are the living links that connect generations to transmit tradition and generational values.