There, huddled up like a football team, my family was gathered around the bay window in my living room. “What happened?” I inquired, as I shoved my sister aside to get a better view. Before they could answer, I saw it. An eagle was perched on a branch a few feet away from us. I stood there in awe just like the rest of my family. I had read about eagles and seen pictures of them, but words and pictures simply did not do this majestic creature justice. Its bold gaze seemed to resonate through the trees as it set its target at its next resting spot. Within seconds it disappeared, soaring into the distance.
As everyone digressed back to his or her everyday activities, I noticed my grandfather on the couch. Why didn’t he bother to catch a glimpse of the eagle?
My grandfather was an interesting man, to say the least. All throughout his life, there was one thing he valued more than anything: knowledge. He desperately strived to know all he possible could about anything and everything. He took great interest in seeing natural occurrences, whether it would be a rabbit in our backyard or a deer on the side of the road. For this very reason, I was surprised to see his rather dull reaction to seeing this animal.
I walked to the couch on which he was resting and asked, “Did you see the animal, Dadu?”
Seemingly uninterested, he responded, “Haan mein dekha (Yes I saw).”
Maybe, he had not understood what the animal was. My grandfather and I shared a close bond that was unlike many others because we had a language barrier, which made it difficult for us to communicate at times. For the past few years, I had been working on improving my Urdu speaking skills, and I could just barely make out what he said. I quickly pulled out my phone, “googled” the translation of eagle in Urdu, and relayed my new finding to my grandfather.
“It was an ‘Uqaab’,” I proudly stated, attempting to pronounce the dreaded “q” to the best of my abilities.
My grandfather looked at me intently, slowly nodded his head, chuckled, and said, “From where I am lived, we call the animal eagle.”
At that moment, the eagle was more than just an animal that I had seen. It was a symbol. It was a chain that linked me to my grandfather. An eagle is the very embodiment of everything America stands for: its infinite possibilities, its broad racial diversity, and its limitless freedom. In a country that has always taught its citizens to know no boundaries, why did I simply assume that this language barrier could prevent my relationship with my grandfather from blossoming?
A relationship is not based on the words that one communicates to the other individual. Rather it is the thoughts, the ideas, the beliefs, and even the time that they share. My relationship with my grandfather was about the days we spent playing chess with no realization of the passing hours. My relationship with my grandfather was about the days we walked around the neighborhood waving at every person that passed by because “acha lagta hein (it feels good).” My relationship with my grandfather was about the days we spent outside trying to quench the thirst of the plentiful flowers in our backyard garden. This relationship was unique, but it was one that we both valued and enjoyed.
Just as an eagle journeys into the skies above, my relationship with my grandfather escalated to even higher levels. I can proudly say that today, my relationship with my grandfather is stronger than it has ever been, not because I am now fluent in Urdu, but because of all the experiences we shared as the years progressed.
As everyone digressed back to his or her everyday activities, I noticed my grandfather on the couch. Why didn’t he bother to catch a glimpse of the eagle?
My grandfather was an interesting man, to say the least. All throughout his life, there was one thing he valued more than anything: knowledge. He desperately strived to know all he possible could about anything and everything. He took great interest in seeing natural occurrences, whether it would be a rabbit in our backyard or a deer on the side of the road. For this very reason, I was surprised to see his rather dull reaction to seeing this animal.
I walked to the couch on which he was resting and asked, “Did you see the animal, Dadu?”
Seemingly uninterested, he responded, “Haan mein dekha (Yes I saw).”
Maybe, he had not understood what the animal was. My grandfather and I shared a close bond that was unlike many others because we had a language barrier, which made it difficult for us to communicate at times. For the past few years, I had been working on improving my Urdu speaking skills, and I could just barely make out what he said. I quickly pulled out my phone, “googled” the translation of eagle in Urdu, and relayed my new finding to my grandfather.
“It was an ‘Uqaab’,” I proudly stated, attempting to pronounce the dreaded “q” to the best of my abilities.
My grandfather looked at me intently, slowly nodded his head, chuckled, and said, “From where I am lived, we call the animal eagle.”
At that moment, the eagle was more than just an animal that I had seen. It was a symbol. It was a chain that linked me to my grandfather. An eagle is the very embodiment of everything America stands for: its infinite possibilities, its broad racial diversity, and its limitless freedom. In a country that has always taught its citizens to know no boundaries, why did I simply assume that this language barrier could prevent my relationship with my grandfather from blossoming?
A relationship is not based on the words that one communicates to the other individual. Rather it is the thoughts, the ideas, the beliefs, and even the time that they share. My relationship with my grandfather was about the days we spent playing chess with no realization of the passing hours. My relationship with my grandfather was about the days we walked around the neighborhood waving at every person that passed by because “acha lagta hein (it feels good).” My relationship with my grandfather was about the days we spent outside trying to quench the thirst of the plentiful flowers in our backyard garden. This relationship was unique, but it was one that we both valued and enjoyed.
Just as an eagle journeys into the skies above, my relationship with my grandfather escalated to even higher levels. I can proudly say that today, my relationship with my grandfather is stronger than it has ever been, not because I am now fluent in Urdu, but because of all the experiences we shared as the years progressed.