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Thousands of Miles Apart But Always Connected

written by Parita 18 Comments

Even after five years of blogging, something you may not know about me is that I’m very close to my maternal grandparents.  Like BFF close.  In fact, I’m pretty sure at the age of six I proudly declared that my grandmother was my best friend.

Grandparents at granddaughter's wedding

The connection that I (and to be fair my sister and cousins as well) have with my grandparents is a little strange because we didn’t grow up with them living right around the corner.  When we went to grandma’s house, we had to board a plane and fly to the other side of the world.

I still remember the excitement that filled my heart when our car dropped us off in front of their home.  My grandparents would be waiting for us at the top of the stairs with huge smiles on their faces.  We would spend the next few weeks eating delicious homemade meals, practicing our English skills (them not me!) by trying to say ridiculous words like refrigerator and spaghetti, and creating a lifetime of memories.  Most of my favorite childhood moments include my ba and dada (grandmother and grandfather) in some shape or form.

Something else I’ll never forget is the look of pride on their faces when I got married.  They were seated in the front row, and I remember catching my grandmother’s eye and smiling at her.  She smiled back with tears in her eyes.  Then when it was time for my vidai (farewell), we all cried a lot.  But it was my grandfather who did so the most.  I’m pretty sure his sadness that day was felt by every guest.

Grandmother blessing granddaughter at wedding

Grandfather crying at granddaughter's vidai

Despite the thousands of miles between us, the bond we share is still extremely strong.  This may be because I was their first grandchild or because we visited India semi-frequently growing up and vice versa with them coming to the US or because I speak to them on the phone once a week.  Thankfully, they still have their trusty landline connected and ready for our catch-up calls where we talk about work, life, and anything exciting happening in the gam (village)!

And that’s where XFINITY® Voice Unlimited comes in handy.  It makes it easy for people to stay in touch with their landline using grandparents from anywhere, on-the-go using the XFINITY Connect app.  In this day and age, where convenience is key, it’s great that this plan is available and simple to use.  But more than anything, it enables grandchildren like me to close the gap (so to speak) with the special people in their lives who may not be around the corner or just up the road.

If you want to learn more and test the product for yourself, be sure to visit one of the two activation centers.  The locations and dates include Bharat Bazar in Fremont, CA from 2/29-3/3 and Great Mall in Milpitas, CA from 3/4-3/6.  Both centers will be open from 5 pm – 8 pm.

This post is part of a sponsored campaign on behalf of the South Asian Bloggers Network for Comcast XFINITY. I have received compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

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Written on February 22, 2016 Related:Family, Life

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  1. Khushboo says

    February 22, 2016 at 6:35 am

    What a lovely post, P! I don’t know if your grandparents are internet-savvy (mine aren’t) but if not, please make sure you print this out and send it to them- so heartwarming!
    Khushboo recently posted…Peanut Butter & Banana Muffin BitesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Parita says

      February 28, 2016 at 8:19 pm

      Thanks, K! I’m going to share this with them when they come to the US for my sister’s wedding! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Aparna B. says

    February 22, 2016 at 7:49 am

    Such a beautiful post, Par! Thank you for sharing this! A few thousand miles cannot break the bond of love and family!

    Reply
    • Parita says

      February 28, 2016 at 8:21 pm

      Thank you! And you’re so right, especially when it comes to grandparents!

      Reply
  3. Tanvi says

    February 22, 2016 at 8:37 am

    That’s so sweet P! You make me miss my grandparents. Their unconditional love is irreplaceable.

    P.S. I am the first grandchild too *enter shock expression*

    ∞ © tanvii.com ∞
    Tanvi recently posted…Equality of the SexesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Parita says

      February 28, 2016 at 8:21 pm

      Thank you! It really is 🙂

      And who would’ve guessed it. LOL!

      Reply
  4. dixya | food, pleasure, and health says

    February 22, 2016 at 2:50 pm

    since my parents live on the other side of the world, i feel you..im just so glad that internet has made it possible for me to connect with them on a daily basis.. i adore my grandmothers too..so reading about them is making me miss my granny.
    dixya | food, pleasure, and health recently posted…Yogurt ParfaitMy Profile

    Reply
    • Parita says

      February 28, 2016 at 8:23 pm

      I don’t know what we would do with technology! It’s amazing how you can connect with someone across the world in a matter of seconds. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Kacy says

    February 22, 2016 at 3:42 pm

    This is so sweet Parita! I am also extremely close with my one living grandparent (my maternal grandma) and was with my maternal grandpa before he passed. I make a point to get home as often as possible to connect with her, since she’s unable to travel due to her health. It’s so wonderful they were able to be a part of your wedding, and that you keep in touch so regularly. Grandparents really are a treasure!
    Kacy recently posted…Purple Patch BrunchMy Profile

    Reply
    • Parita says

      February 28, 2016 at 8:25 pm

      “Grandparents are a treasure!” –> YES! Couldn’t have said it better myself. I’m so thankful that they’ve been so present in my life.

      And it makes me so happy that you make it a point to see your grandma when you can. I’m sure it means more to her then you’ll ever know!

      Reply
  6. Jessie R says

    February 22, 2016 at 4:05 pm

    Love this! What precious photos of from your wedding 🙂 I can only imagine how proud they were

    Reply
    • Parita says

      February 28, 2016 at 8:26 pm

      Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Salma says

    February 22, 2016 at 11:18 pm

    Such a beautiful post! It’s so wonderful that you can still stay connected over so much time and distance.
    Salma recently posted…Meal Plan #84My Profile

    Reply
    • Parita says

      February 28, 2016 at 8:26 pm

      Thanks for the opportunity, Salma!

      Reply
  8. Pragati // Simple Medicine says

    February 23, 2016 at 10:35 am

    When I was a kid my grandmother was my BFF. I would cry hysterically every time she left after a visit. The photos from your wedding are gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Parita says

      February 28, 2016 at 8:27 pm

      Thanks, Pre! And I was/am the same way. We always make it a point to drop my grandparents off at the gate, and every single time without fail, we end up making all the people around us tear up. It’s so hard to say bye!

      Reply
  9. Raj says

    February 23, 2016 at 10:44 pm

    Such a beautiful post Parita! I miss my grandparents everyday, love that you are able to stay connected with them 🙂

    Reply
    • Parita says

      February 28, 2016 at 8:28 pm

      Thank you, Raj! And thank you for the opportunity as well 🙂

      Reply
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