The formidable force of Jewish grandmothers

If there is one greater force than a Jewish mother, then it is certainly a Jewish grandmother. So we sat, several Jewish grandmothers in our usual café, and discussed our children's children. The immense volume of brainpower, brilliance, talent and beauty discussed around that table was so powerful, it could have moved mountains and created a completely new and better world. Grandchildren were described as top students, people who in future years will continue to put this country as a first on the map. Granddaughters were mentioned  who had the potential to become supermodels but, out of pure and admirable modesty, prefer to get a degree as kindergarten teachers.

What would my children say?

My friend Hanna reached her eightieth birthday and she invited some people for a lavish brunch down in the dining room. The celebration was very nice and the food was sumptuous. Later her son and her daughter stood at the head of the table and started to eulogize their mother. They remembered their childhood, youth and also the years later when Hanna was a wonderful and quite perfect mother. While they talked, my free-running imagination started a trip of its own and I started to imagine what my own children would say at my eightieth birthday. It is still some time off but let's suppose I too invite my friends to this kind of celebration.

My daughter, as the older one would probably start:

"She was a good mother generally, she fed us and she dressed us and she scolded us She made very good chicken soup. And I loved her mamaliga!"

Here my son would interrupt: "Why do you have to mention mamaliga? I hated it! But her chocolate cake was awesome!"