Growing up with Yia Yia
Celebrating Yia Yia
I always thought she looked like a Coca Cola model…so beautiful
Some flowers I had sent her. Aunt Koula took a picture of her with them.
This beautiful woman would have been 90 years old this month. Yia Yia was such a sweet & loving person. I wish facetime was invented a long time ago. Living so far away, I didn’t get to see her much in her last years of life. I’m very thankful for the precious memories I do have of her while I was growing up.
Yia Yia & Papoo
Almost EVERY Sunday growing up, we would always end up going to Yia Yia & Papoo’s house. It was like their house was the hub of our family. On any given Sunday, we were likely to be able to hang out with my cousins & see my aunts & uncles. It was kind of like a known thing…you go to Yia Yia’s and Papoo’s house on Sundays. So much fun.
All of my Yia Yia & Papoo’s kids. My dad is in there too. Aunt Koula over on the left. This picture was so wide. It was hard to crop.
Sometimes we would do yard work or house work for her & she would ALWAYS pay us. Sometimes it was a special pack of gum or sometimes it was money. But we ALWAYS got paid for any work we did for her. My Papoo would always be cooking stew or octopus, chicken lemon rice soup, or lamb. They always had these S shaped cookies they would give us. Oh the sweet memories of being a kid a Yia Yia’s & Papoo’s.
Me with Yia Yia
Looking back, I LOVE how my Yia Yia was so sweet to us…as long as we were behaving & being respectful. Otherwise…it was the switch. Makes me laugh a little. Sometimes we would have to go pick out our own. She could be so stern one minute & then forget all about it after she scolded us (no doubt we deserved it I’m sure). What a handful we all must have been. No doubt she loved us unconditionally.
If you knew my Yia Yia, you would know that she LOVED shopping & buying little trinkets & treasures. If you were alone with her she would motion for you to follow her & she would show you her latest little treasure. Often offering it to you. So giving.
I’m so thankful for the things my Yia Yia has taught me thru living that way herself. Respect one another, love unconditionally, work hard, give lots, smile & laugh a lot. I will cherish my memories of her & hope to aspire to be a great Yia Yia to my grandkids like she was to us.
Papoo & Yia Yia
Categories: Family
Soooo sweet!
Koula, I always felt that exact same way about YaYa and Popu. She taught me how to raise you kids to be good respectful kids. She also taught me to respect myself. My greatest joy aside of visiting them every weekend was taking her shopping or helping steam clean her rugs, we had so much fun. I remember helping Popu plant his garden the first few times he did that and then later he planted it and was always so proud to show us the veggies he was growing. They both were like my own parents to me and I will always love them so very much they were so good to me as well as you kids. I was blessed to have them as in laws.