By Kashmira Kapadia, October 7, 2019 — I have always felt so lucky to have such a big family. Having four kids of my own, nine grandchildren and now two great-grandchildren, I feel so blessed to always be surrounded by so much family and so many people that I love. Nothing makes me happier and more proud to say that I have lived to see my great-grandchildren grow up.
I have a very vivid memory of the day my first great-grandchild was born and will always carry this memory with me. Back then, I was healthy enough to go to the hospital and see my grandson, his wife, and their newborn baby girl. When I first saw their newborn, I knew there was something so special about her. In the Indian culture, there are many myths that many people do not believe in, however, I am a strong believer in a large number of them. The second I held my great-granddaughter and looked down at her big, beautiful, round eyes, I knew she was going to grow up to be a very smart woman. This is a common myth in India, if you are born with very round eyes, you will grow up to be very intelligent. When I was holding her, I also noticed another thing about her and it was that she had a small cowlick on the back of her head. Another old Indian myth says that if a newborn baby has a cowlick on the back of their head, their mother’s next child will be a boy. A year and a half later, my second great-grandchild was born and he was in fact a boy! I am so happy that I am able to see the two of them grow up, as well as the rest of my children and grandchildren.