Grandma and Grandpa - My Grandfather, A Man of Respect :: Personal Narrative Profile

My Grandfather – A Man of Respect Winds scratch his hands and his sharp bones deeply assert their lineaments. He stands like a trembling leaf on the branch of an evergreen, and will not fall. (Emmanuel di Pasquale, "Old Man Timochenko") This stanza from Emmanuel di Pasquale's poem "Old Man Timochenko" portrays my grandfather well. My grandfather is a man of respect because he never gave up on life, not even when his friends and family were burned alive on a train traveling from East Punjab to West Punjab during the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. He immediately understood that emigration from this Hindu dominant country to a Muslim state was important for his family's safety, faith, and future. My grandfather was nineteen years old when he moved from India's Punjab to Pakistan's Punjab; he was able to escape and obtain border passes from high authorities because his father was a wealthy landlord. After three days, he arrived in the city of Lahore with his mother, three brothers, and one sister, but they were shocked when they saw small houses overburdened with people like fish in a tuna can. The biggest misfortune struck when they found out that they were not going to be fully compensated for all the property they had left behind. During this entire incident, my grandfather did not shed a single tear because he knew that this migration was his family's choice, and they had to pay a price for a better life. Throughout his life he valued one thing the most: respect. In fact, he thought of it as a reversible equation; you give respect and you get respect, and that is what he me throughout his lifetime. My grandfather always taught me to respect people regardless of their religion, status, and color. He said that these are man-made boundaries and differences, and in order to socialize in this world, one must learn to accept people in all forms. For example, on the day of Eid-ul-Fitar, a religious day observed by Muslims, my grandfather would embrace his servants, wish them a happy and prosperous year ahead, and give them presents.