The story of the grandson who created an illustrated phone book for his grandmother who cannot read

The moments you share with your grandparents remain in a special and exclusive place in your heart. It’s not just about love, but complicity too. It is often easy to see your grandmother as a mother, as a best friend and as the most amazing person who would, without hesitation, do anything to see you smile. Pedro Ortega created an illustrated phone book for her grandmother, as she did not have the opportunity to learn to read. Gestures like this may seem simple and unimportant, but at the end of the day, they are the ones that remain in our memory and in our heart.

This exemplary grandson told the awesome.club the details of his beautiful relationship with his grandmother and the gift he gave her.

The story began 22 years ago, when his father created a phone book for his grandparents. The boy, then 10 years old, decided to make some drawings next to the names of the contacts, because he knew that his grandmother could not read them. Until then, she was obliged to turn to her husband. Her grandfather read the names so that only then would she be able to call people.

“I was 10 years old. I sat down with my grandma and started drawing symbols next to the phone numbers so she could identify who each one belonged to,” she shared. Over the years, Pedro has been “updating” the agenda little by little. This “job” became a fun activity for both of them and, thanks to the idea, the grandmother found a use in the illustrated notebook, later starting to make calls by herself. It was real teamwork.

Some people may wonder why this lady never learned to read. From the age of 9, Pedro’s grandmother had to work in the homes of wealthy families in exchange for food. She didn’t get a chance to attend school, and although she tried to learn, she couldn’t. However, she was able to adapt and lead a normal life, regardless of the circumstances.

“When she goes to the supermarket, she knows how to distinguish all the products. She knows which is whole, skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, for example, by the color of the packaging. He knows when a product is light or something else, from the images on the label”, said the grandson.

Since he was a little boy, Pedro has always been very close to his family and, above all, very close to his grandparents, thanks to his mother. Although they both live in the same country, he works in Madrid and his grandmother lives in Linares — both in Spain. Due to Pedro’s work as a journalist and communication advisor, they only see each other 4-5 times a year and they usually take advantage of this time to do something they love together: cooking. Although they don’t see each other much, grandmother and grandson are always in touch and talk on the phone every week.

“I think we have a very trusting relationship and we feel a lot of admiration and respect for each other. Also, his eldest daughter and my mother, died five years ago. This lack of a person so dear to both of us brought us closer together. She lost her daughter, I lost my mother and we try to ease this loss by taking care of each other”, she said. In the end, Pedro and his grandmother are a beautiful example of the possibilities that exist in the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. Regardless of the circumstances, they are always there for unconditional mutual support.

What would you do in Peter’s place? What about Grandma’s? Let us know in the comments and share a photo with your granny with us. We would love to meet you!