S u m m e r D a y s W i t h G r a n d m a I I’ve spent countless summers with my grandmother and my favorite cousins on the island of Kythnos. Those summers had their own strict schedule and rituals!
Our mornings started with cold figs brought by my grandfather. “Who’s going to grab a cold, cold fig first?” he would exclaim. We’d also have warm goat milk (yes, straight from the goat) and beaten eggs (raw eggs with cocoa)… Somehow, we managed to survive those breakfasts!
Our main objective for the day was always to get to the sea. Together, we’d all head down to Megali Ammos and spend hours diving, without worrying about sunscreen. My grandma would occasionally step out onto the terrace to check on us. I still wonder how she could see us from such a distance…
When lunch was ready, she’d reappear on the terrace and call out our names, one by one, until one of us responded. “Eleni, George, Margarita… the food is ready.”
After lunch, nap time was enforced, but none of us actually slept. Instead, we’d read comics we’d hidden under the mattress and stifle our laughter.
In the afternoons, we’d line up to read prayers. Grandma, being involved in the Panagia Kanala church, wanted us to grasp religious principles. She’d share stories of miracles witnessed in the church with my grandfather, Kostas, such as the story of the lost key, or the oil on the thimble – proof of her strong faith.
After prayers, we were free to play until dusk. In the end of the day we played the knot game. My grandfather would hide a knot in one end of his handkerchief, and whoever picked it had to fetch water from the tap the next morning, which meant crossing fields and jumping over boulders.
My grandma wasn’t one for many displays of affection, but beneath her serious demeanor, humor lurked. And when news of tragedies reached her, she wept for the children of the world, even if she didn’t know them personally.
She may not have given us many hugs, but we always knew she was there to care for and protect us. I’ll never forget her gaze through her glasses as she crocheted for endless hours – she heard and saw everything, of course.
