My Grandparents Changed My Attitude in Life

I waited eagerly with tears of happiness gleaming in my eyes. There I was at

John F. Kennedy International in June of 2017, waiting for my grandparents to
arrive in America for the first time; I hadn’t seen them in 11 years. For a
moment we just stood there, and then my grandparents started to cry. They
placed their soft palms on my face. As I stood in shock, all they could say was
“Harshu…. ” Our lives were finally touching. There was hardly any chatter
during the 4½ hour trip home, but it was different when I gave them a tour of
the house.

As farmers leading very simple lives in Ganapathi Palayam, one of the most
rural and smallest villages in an underdeveloped country like India, they
couldn’t stop talking about the wonders of our modern appliances. Later,
while everyone passed out the moment they landed on their beds after such
a long and tiring day, I just could not sleep! So many thoughts streamed
through my brain. All I could think about was my time with my grandparents.
After living with the same three people all my life, I knew they would bring a
special brightness to this house, making this an unforgettable summer. After
the first few days of getting to know each other better, I became more and
more comfortable with my grandparents. In July, we embarked on several
trips so they could understand the American way of life. We started with

Disney World (https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/a-personal-

narrative-about-disneyland-the-happiest-place-on-earth/), then New York
City, and, of course, ended with Niagara Falls, where every Indian family takes
their grandparents. I loved experiencing America through my grandparents’
eyes. I thought they were enjoying the tourist destinations and the vivid
American culture, but they blindsided me when they adamantly refused to
experience American food. The words they loathed the most were the ones I
loved: pizza, burger, and hot dog. They always grimaced at the opportunity to
savor American cuisine.

Everyone else gave up trying to persuade them. But not me! I made it my
mission to have them embrace American culture the same way that I do, so
this was a challenge I was ready for. I tried to remind them that this was a
once-in-a-lifetime experience but my pleas fell on deaf ears. If only I could get
them to take one bite of a hot dog, I knew they would have a hard time going
:
 them to take one bite of a hot dog, I knew they would have a hard time going
back to eating sambar rice and curry! Obviously, there was fault on me for
trying to get them to try french fries dipped in buffalo sauce at Red Robin as
a first taste of American cuisine. However, I relentlessly kept on trying and
persuading them to savor the American cuisine that I cherished for my whole
life. When, to my surprise, I couldn’t convince them, my initial tears of joy
turned into tears of frustration. Then came invitations to family gatherings. To
my dismay, they ignored what would have been an enjoyable evening and
preferred to stay home, even though the invitations were specifically for them
to mingle with more Tamil family friends. I persistently tried to change their
stubborn views on American family gatherings. My enduring efforts lasted for
six invitations. After each invitation, their indifference only grew. I finally gave
up and stopped putting pressure on them.

After witnessing my frustration, my mom suggested that I just try to make

our last month together the best one. That’s when I decided to take a light-
hearted positive approach and just described the fun they would have
getting together with other families. Their reaction to this was heartwarming:
their faces seemed to glow with delight as they agreed to attend the
gatherings. My change in attitude created a change in their reaction. Perhaps
instead of my grandparents learning more about America, was I unexpectedly
learning more about myself? My grandparents’ visit transformed me into
more of a people person who can successfully deal with people from different
backgrounds. I learned the value of taking the time to understand where
other people are coming from. I also found out that forcing my opinions on
others only leads to resistance. My change in attitude led to positive changes
in my relationship with other people. By the time my grandparents left, I was

communicating more effectively and they were eating hot dogs! As I waved
good-bye to my grandparents at the airport, my tears of frustration were now
tears of sadness.
: