I visited my great aunt last night

She is a kind old lady who is very non judgmental.we had dinner at her house. She has a fourth grade education because when she was young like others she was pulled out of school to work early like working the land. She is eighty-seven years old. She told me and my mom stories of first coming into this country as an immigrant when I asked her if it was really hard being an immigrant. I’m a first generation born American as both of my parents were immigrants. She used to work in housekeeping for hotels as an adult. One thing about my great aunt is she always accepted me for who I was and didn’t try to change me especially with my clothes. She got married really young and had her first child at like eighteen. My mom’s side of my family were very poor and my mom didn’t even have electricity until she moved to the United States at around 12 or 13. My maternal grandmother worked in housekeeping for hotels too at one point and worked in factories. My grandfather worked in factories and farms. Being an immigrant to a new country was always difficult especially if you don’t know the language and the customs. Both sides of my family struggled a lot when they came here. They waited years for their visas to be approved. I just realize my family sacrificed a lot for their kids and my parents and grandparents and extended family worked very hard. My mom was the first person in her family to go to university and she studied laboratory science for a four year degree. She had a post grad certification after that. My family tried so hard to give their kids a good life. One generation wanting better than the other. I appreciate my family for trying to give us a good life and am proud for how far they have come. My dad and paternal grandparents ran from a war. I only wish part of my family would just stop trying to change me especially how much I wear. I have to work on a lot but I don’t feel like I should have to change what I wear and being bundled up and warmly dressed as that’s how I am comfortable. My great aunt occasionally babysat me and my sister when we were little. I remember my great aunt trying to get my sister to go to sleep but she ran around the house. I tried to run after her and great aunt run after me and her and my parents came home from the concert to find everyone awake and they were expecting us to be in bed well at least my sister because I was a young teen. It’s just a funny memory. My great aunt is very fond of me and says one of these days I can be dropped off at her apartment and spend part of the afternoon with her. She is partly lonely I think because her daughter is in Florida but her son takes her out to spend time with his family and out for groceries on the weekend. One of her granddaughters lives close to Boston and the other granddaughter lives closer to her but works at night bartending and working on her farm when she has time. Her great grandson comes to see her at times. Her daughter had kids at like fourteen which was so young. I should spend more time with my family members before they pass away.. Both of my maternal grandparents are dead. I don’t like my paternal great aunt because she was very shady back in the day and treated my grandparents poorly ie involved with a scheme with my grandfathers other sister to scam and extort them out of money. My maternal great aunt has always been honest and I don’t think she was a strict parent. I really like her and hope she is around for another decade or so. She fell down and broke her arm and had to spend a long time in physical rehab center. She uses some kind of patch to numb the pain a bit. She has an elderly companion, nurse, and other staff come in to check on her throughout the week and they make sure she takes a shower safely in the morning. I feel bad for old people. It must suck to be elderly. My great aunt used to sew, crochet, and knit for hobbies. Now since she can’t see as well she doesn’t do them anymore. She is not into reading books, creative writing, painting or drawing. She’s not into learning foreign languages and only speaks calo and Portuguese. She watches tv and when she has no company sometimes she will go to bed at 7:00 pm. That’s a sad life. She used to go around town and in the surrounding towns by bus with her old friend until she moved away and before she fell. She was so surprised to see me there with my mom because it has been so long since I visited. The point is it’s important to care for the elderly as they are becoming vulnerable with age and they need to be checked in on. My great aunt also gets meals on wheels delivered to her home. She lives in subsidized housing apartment complex in New Bedford Massachusetts. It was good to see her and her smile last night. It warmed my heart.