ikhlas, seperti namanya.

if you know her, you know how much i love her.

you know how much people around her love her, respect her.

she’s not only my grandmother, she’s my mother.

she’s a great cook. sop buntut dahapati? apa itu? i prefer to go to a family house, just behind sop buntut dahapati, the place i called ‘rumah nenek’. that’s the best place to eat sop buntut.

she made nasi tumpeng for our birthdays. a complete set of nasi kuning. she made at least 12 nasi tumpengs each year, because every month there’s always someone’s birthday. her nasi kuning is enough to make us feel special.

i don’t know how she managed to cook soo many dishes every meal for every person in her house — every single day. but she showed me: that’s possible.

she’s a great teacher. she’s my inspiration to be a teacher. her brain’s so bright! and she’s so energetic & looked young for her age. she’s still going to school, learning Qur’an in her old years. i want to be like her! never stop learning.

she taught me a lot about money. she’s the one who taught me how to save money. i still do until today what she did to my monthly stipend during high school. spare first, save always, enjoy enough.

she’s a great mother. she took care of EVERYBODY. her (late) husband. her kids, her grandchildren, her not-so-kid, her not-so-grandchildren. you come to her house, she served you the best.

i put minyak kayu putih every time i go to bed, until now. i believe i got it from her. she’s like that too. minyak kayu putih sidola, or caplang it’s okay.

she’s the strongest. she wanted me to be strong too. during high school, i often fainted in the morning. she gave me a hot cup of tea & minyak kayu putih. once i gained my conscious, she asked “udah enakan kan? berangkat sekolah ya”. that’s how she raised me. you can be sick, you can be sad, but you can’t be weak. get up when you’re ready.

when i was sick, i didn’t call my mother. i called her instead. “nenek jangan bilang ibu yaa kalo adek sakit”. she took care of me, but never spoiled me. never she spooned me, but her food’s always the best cure. i always look for sop ayam whenever i’m sick. that’s from her.

–

you lived well, nenek.

we love you so much.

innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un.

you’re with the Greatest Lover now.

12 Sept 1931 – 26 Mar 2022

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