Shengliver’s Note: The generation gap stands in the way of communication. Different outlooks tear people, even friends and family, away from each other. The mother in this entry is trying her best to sway her mother onto the “right” track.

About six months ago, Grandma moved in with us, which I welcome very much. Grandma cared for me for years when I was a child.

At the beginning, it was a peaceful life. After some days, however, my mum began to argue fiercely with Grandma over something that was, in my eyes, trivial and insignificant. Her words were harsh, but Grandma didn’t give a damn. Mother, for instance, tried to talk Grandma into eating foods that she had never touched before, taking a walk outdoors, or having a shower every night. Whatever Mother said fell on deaf ears.

It confused me. Grandma is no kid. Instead, she has her own thoughts and habits, although she does appear eccentric at times. Why did my mother talk to her mother like that?

As weeks went by, I gradually sided with my mother. Although Grandma is an adult, she is too conservative to take good care of herself. Ignorant of modern society, she still holds on to some archaic ideas. Grandma just tries to save as much as possible, be it food, water or tissue. With fossilised attitudes, she ends up treating herself rather unfairly. Some of her little foibles, in fact, are a detriment to her own health. A case in point is Grandma refusing to eat fruit every day. “Fruits,” she often protests, “are so expensive.”

With my fresh realisation, I started to understand my mother in a completely new way. It occurs to me that her harsh words to Grandma mask her good intentions. Although Grandma is still as obstinate as a mule, she has changed a little for the better. She takes a shower from time to time now.