Page 53 - Cherished Memories of Yesteryears - A Collection of Grandparents' Life Experiences

“Respect and hard work are important values of life.”

My grandparents were very poor during their They had to share the space among their siblings
childhood. They had little money but had caring and sleep on the floor without pillows. Also, they
siblings, parents, and supportive relatives. They had no fans or air conditioners, so they had to
ate only porridge and vegetables to survive and open the windows to sleep.
had to bring food from home to school. They wore When my grandparents grew up, they started to
clothes that were old, dirty, and torn. They had
little education as education was not compulsory. work. They went to work by bicycle. After they
started working, my grandparents earned some
They had to walk two kilometres from home to
school. money, and life improved. After the 1990s, they
had more money and bought a motorcycle.
My grandparents had no toys to play with. So,
they played with sand, climbed trees, and played I was amazed to hear my grandparents’ childhood
traditional games. They had no television or stories. I am fortunate to be in a much better
electronic devices then, as it was in the 1960s. condition than my grandparents. I must
Instead, they had puppet shows and dramas and be thankful that I had a wonderful life. My
went to street theatres in their village. grandparents told me that they got wealthy only
by being hardworking. They also advised me
My grandparents visited temples to worship gods always to be hardworking and respect the elders
and celebrated temple festivals with their friends. to achieve my goals. That was the most memorable
At the festivals, they had many fun games to story I have ever heard.
play with and sweets to eat. Unfortunately, they Rajesh Shiwin
did not have enough rooms to sleep in their house.
Primary 5.2

Cherished Memories of Yesteryears 49