I Interviewed My 88-Year-Old Grandmother About Life - Her Answers Made Me Cry (and Laugh)

I asked my grandma if I could interview her for Steemit. I'm quite thick-skinned. But my grandma's answers made me tear up more than once. It's such a great thing to have a close relationship with a grandparent. I admire her and I wish I was more like her. 

Her name is Anny. She's completely on board with my Steemit journey and she is my biggest fan. She cares about her community, she is always helping others and she is very young at heart. It's her 88th birthday on Monday so I wanted to have a conversation about life with her before I move to Australia. Here are the questions and her answers.

Me and Anny after the interview yesterday.

Do you have some advice for young people?

— Know what you want and go get it. Stay in school and trust yourself.

Do you have some advice for grown ups?

— Take care of your older friends and family. Give them some of your time. There are far to many lonely people and older people doesn't expect much.

What is the most stupid thing you've ever done?

— Falling down my stairs a couple of years ago, with my face first. 

What is the best thing you've ever done?

— I opened my home and invited young people that struggled with life to live with me.
I think I had about 13 people living with me. One at the time off course! They had just recovered from some kind of addiction. When they were ready, I helped them move on to a more permanent living situation. 

Have you ever done something illegal?

— I don't think so.. Well, I did buy some cigarettes once. I wanted to lose weight, ha ha!
But I was too scared to smoke them and I gave them away.

Is there something you regret?

— I was too strict with my four sons. I was maybe a bit hard on them too. But we lived on a busy farm, and I was always in the middle of something. I regret that.

Do you have some advice for love? How did you find my grandfather? (He died when my dad was young.)

— Your grandfather found me! It was love at first sight. I loved him all my life. The key ingredient for a marriage is honesty.

My siblings, me and my grandmother. She has really not changed much in 20 years!

What is your advice for a good life?

— It's more important to listen than to talk. Try to be aware of how others are doing. Be attentive, observant and honest. Care about others, but also care for yourself.

Who do you look up to?

She said the name of a guy that's living in the same town as her. She told me about all the good stuff he did for others. I told her "Steemit doesn't know who this guy is, do you have another idol?"

—  Mother Teresa! 

What do you wish for in the future?

— My only wish is that all my grandchildren will have great lives.

If you could travel to somewhere you haven't been before, where would that be?

— I would go back to Arizona. Oh, you said somewhere I've never been? Rome!

Can you describe me in five words?

She was thinking for a long time and she said she couldn't do it. It turned out she thought I said five letters. Ha ha.

— You're loving, amazing, social, helpless and understanding.

Excuse me, G-ma, helpless? How can you say that?  —  Oh, I meant helpfull! 

Do you remember anything from the Second World War?

— Yes, I remember being scared. But I also remember how my parents changed, I could tell they were worried and anxious. I was 12 when the war stared. We had to have black blinds on our windows and our house was dark and sad because of it. 

Her 86th birthday!

What time of your life has been the best? When you were young? When you had kids? Or maybe now that you are older?

— I can't pick one period of my life and say it was better than the others. They were equally great in their own way.

Are you scared of dying?

— No? Why should I be scared of that? I've had a great life and I will die when the time is right.

What are you scared of then?

— FALLING! I'm scared that I'll fall and be unable to get back up.

What do you like the most about yourself?

— I like my hair when it has a great hairdo, but I've never managed to do so! Ha ha!

And then she laughed for a while. She has the warmest and most contagious laughter ever.

If you had to marry a celebrity, who would that be?

— I'd say no!

If you could help one group of people, who would that be?

— All kids staying at orphanages.

You lost you 23-year-old son in an accident on an oil rig. How did you get through that?

— I dealt with it mostly by myself. I found it hard to talk to people about it, because I didn't know who to talk to. I went from shock to grief and I gave it time. I was never angry. But I was very concerned about my daughter in law and her 11-month-old son. It was so sad to watch a new family being torn apart. Luckily she met another great man, and for that I'm very thankful.  My husband was sick and one son ended  up in the hospital after an accident on a motorbike at the same time that my son died. I had a hard time being a good mom to my sons while getting through this. Luckily, my kids were fantastic and I had some good friends.

What would you like to see more of, and less of in the world?

— I'd like to see people being more positive and less selfish. Most of us have very good lives and there's really not much to complain about. 

If you met the 20-year-old Anny, what would you say to her?

—WOW, you look a lot like my mom!! 

Do you have something to say to all my friends on Steemit?

—Be nice to each other - a smile can work miracles, smile to someone!

Susanne & Anny