Have you met her? The woman in the picture. Not that little girl with a frown on her face! But the woman with glasses. I am not sure you know her. But I bet you know that little girl. The little girl was me and the woman is Mbah Yi, my grannie. My beloved grannie.

I really want to write a lot about her. But I never successfully wrote things about her. It’s not because I’m too lazy to write but more likely it’s more than words to tell the world how special she is at least for me.

Her real name is actually not “Mbah Yi” or “Yi”. Her real name is Soepi’ah. “Mbah Yi” is the nickname given by her first grand daughter named Dian. Mbah Yi never wanted to be called “Mbah Yi” she wanted her grand children would call her “Mbah Putri”. But Mbak Dian found difficulties in pronouncing “Mbah Putri”, no matter how hard she tried, the phrase that came out of her mouth was “Mbah Yi”. Since then, all of her grand children call her “Mbah Yi”.

Well, I once wrote something in my blackberry about this super woman:

Once upon a time… Lived a very wise yet liberal woman in her time.

The one who never really thought about religion while others still argued which religion is the best. She believes that all religion is the same. Religion teaches us to be nice persons with different way.

The one who never bounded her children to be what she wanted them to be. She let them to be whatever they wanted to be: artists, civil servants, bank employees, and so on.

The one who thought books are important. Every book has their own way to teach people about life. She built the first library in her village. She knows that school is not the only place where you can find knowledges.

Yet, out of her liberalness, she was still a very conservative wife who chose to be a single mother after her husband left her and their 7 children forever. She held the loyalty to her husband even though the last words her husband told was to find a new father for their children. She only loves her husband, for her marriage is sacred and she wants her marriage was the first and the last for her. “Second marriage” never be in her dictionary. She never got married for the second time. It didn’t mean she didn’t love her children and let them suffer in poverty. She worked hard. Harder than any women, even harder than what men did. She was amazing. She is inspiring.

None of her children suffer because of her choice. All of them could reach their dreams. She’s their inspiration, their heroin.

She knew how to teach even though she wasn’t a teacher. She knew how people loves to be appreciated rather than punished. She never punished her children. She used no stick, she knew how to use carrots.

She’s loved by too many people, more than she expected.

She never knew, once she’d gone, it wasn’t just her family who mourned. It was society.

She left too many sweet memories for people.

She is not a well known person nor popular motivator. But she’s the inspiration for me.

The strong woman who gave birth to 7 children. Beloved woman who could share equal cares to her 12 grand children. The inspiring woman for 19 of her descendants. The caring woman who would give what she could give to the one who needed. The woman with thousands sweet memories.

The source of all my inspirations. My grand mother…

Well, I don’t know why I’m writing all these things. I suddenly remember her. It’s been 10 years… And I miss her so much :’)

Dear grandma, do you miss me like I miss you?