Write to my grandmother at least monthly

Ever since email I have totally phased letters out of my life. But that has kept me from communicating with my grandma. I am a horrible grandson! I don’t even write to say thanks for sending me the $10 check. I am going to start writing my grandma once a month for the rest of her life, even if it is just to say hi and the first letter is going to start with, “I am a horrible grandson for not writing you more but I love you and I am going to send you one letter a month so be ready!”

These letters are, hands down, the most fun writing I ever do. They have to be in Hindi, first of all. But here’s the tricky part: since I can’t write a single word of H-i-n-d-i anymore and grandma can barely read, I write them in English immitating the phonetics of Hindi. My poor, poor grandpa then has to translate these ridiculous letters into sensible words for her to hear. He can’t hear – not well anymore – but he’s the one reading (!) so it all works out.

I default to writing nonsense. They don’t need another formal subpoena of a letter like the kind they get from my parents. My hunch is, they get a kick out of zig-zagging through the cacophonous spellings & the whimsically illegal grammar to figure out what the hell I’m saying. On content alone, though, these letters come out as trashy as the Enquirer.

My new favorite gimmick is to fold the letters into paper airplanes hoping they’re not too old to play with them. Origami animals are next – most edible ones first, starting with cows!

This is so easy to forget and yet so essential. Thanks!

Sent my grandmother a postcard from Taiwan.