I never realized the power of my mother tongue until I was 10. I grew up listening to the Marathi and Hindi languages, as they were the only things I ever heard until I went to school. Marathi was the language I said my first word in, the language in which I learned to communicate with my parents, the way they interacted with me when I was a small girl. It’s the only language I speak to my relatives in. It gave me a sort of connection to other people who spoke the same language because we started on the same wavelength.

Today, I want to take the time to talk about my grandma (Nani, my mom’s mother). Growing up in an Indian household, I was used to being around a lot of my relatives and family friends. I’ve always loved being part of a large community, a large family, especially during Wedding Season. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve known to dress up in Indian attire and go for poojas (prayers), and celebrations of various kinds. I know a lot of my extended family by name and grew up having small talk. Though I think my favorite family member besides my parents, is my grandma.