Hands-On Grandparenting

One of my favourite memories with Bara Dadu is the time he had food stuck in his gum and asked me to remove it. I brought him a toothpick and some floss, but in true Dadu fashion, he said, “Nahin — haath se nikalo.”

Shivi cutting a birthday cake with her Bada Dadu

I called Popo for backup and she immediately said, “I’m out, he’s all yours.” So there I was, removing food from his gum with my hands, because he didn’t like the feeling of floss. Just one of many moments that reminds me how deeply — and uniquely — I loved him.

-Shivi