I received this by email from someone who knows someone who knows the author of these words. I wrote to him and asked about his story and his grandma - and I asked him if I could share it by posting it on my blog and by asking visitors to share with us stories of their own grandmas or grandpas - he was kind enough to agree Read and share .. I would love to hear your stories. 

Dear friends old and new , I am sharing the below with you because you witnessed or about to learn what I have experienced as a blessing from God.

This was written on the 21 June 09 on the international day of 42 million refugees . to narrate my a life experience .

I was born in Jaffa, Palestine on February 3^rd, 1940 to a Palestinian father and a Syrian mother. I have memories of my birth city; but a few short years later in 1948 catastrophe struck. I, along with my father, mother, sister and younger brother joined thousands of refugees who were forced to leave their homes.

Nothing can describe the feeling of helplessness and destitution when you leave everything that is familiar behind you, not knowing what to expect next. I can only imagine what my parents felt losing everything. But, we were among the few, who left the evils of war and the desolate Palestinians seeking a safe shelter. We were almost penniless and with barely enough means to sustain a family for a days shelter and food. Those were dark days like being in the abyss with hope of seeing the next day.

We were also luckier than the masses of stranded Palestinian refugees. We were blessed to move the day after with my grandmother Turkia Khanum, a great lady, whom we called Teta. She was as warm as the space of her home in lovely Damascus. To me it was like changing beds from Jaffa to Damascus,where my new life started good and well.

The Diaspora years started 62 years ago; and in that time I continuously to date still learn of the suffering, instability, hunger, and horrors others experienced. Teta, though, gave my family and I all means of a dignified, normal life. Teta and my parents made sure that we went to the best of schools within a week of our arrival.

I only appreciated many years later how much she truly gave us. She sacrificed her privacy and the space of her home; she didn’t allow us to be exposed to negative news and comments; she allowed my father the dignity of being a man by respecting his presence though the home was her own; she allowed us to live with dignity as Palestinians without losing our identity, sheltering us from resentment. And so much more. Teta with her loving smile and strong character gave us a normal childhood when so many of our compatriots lost many years of their lives ; and I learn to appreciate Teta more every day of my life. What she gave me still reverberate in my own daily life ,she was my bridge to a better liberal  life. 

I believe she was a Godsend. He gave her the serenity, patience and desire to take us in and give us a normal life; and had it not been for her contribution, we would have been forced to seek refuge in one of the many camps in host countries rather than in the home of our Teta. She gave us life her life ,may god bless her soul.

Nadim Abuljobain

Here’s the author’s name and email: Nadim Abuljobain <nadimsolo@hotmail.com> if you like, but you can simply share your stories here in the comments.