Im 25 years old, and for the past two months, Ive been living with my grandmother.
My aunther only surviving daughterpassed away suddenly just two months ago. Until then, my gran lived with her. They shared a home, their daily routines, the comfortable silences between them. I would visit regularly, but we all led our own lives. Everything changed the moment my grandmother was left on her own.
Loss is no stranger to me. My mum died when I was 19. Since then, Ive learned to live with absence as part of everyday life. I never knew my father. Theres no hidden story, no mysterious truthhe was simply never there. So when my aunt died, something became painfully clear: it was just me and my gran now.
The first few days after the funeral were odd. My gran didnt cry all the time, but her grief showed in the smallest waysshed move more slowly, forget to turn the lights off, sit quietly staring into space. I told myself Id stay for a few days. Those days turned into weeks. Then one afternoon, as I arranged my clothes in a wardrobe, I realised I wasnt going to leave.
Since then, the opinions have come rolling in. There are always people with something to say.
Some think I did the right thingafter all, how could I leave an elderly woman whos just lost her daughter all alone? Others insist Im wasting my youth, that at 25, I should be travelling, going out, meeting someone, living my life. They ask if its too much for me, if I feel trapped, or if Im afraid Ill end up alone one day.
The truth is, I just dont see it that way.
I work, save money, keep the house tidy, take gran to the doctor, cook with her, and watch the telly together in the evenings. I dont feel like Im missing out. I feel like Im making a choice. I dont have a partner at the moment; Im not thinking about children or moving abroad. Im thinking about stability, about being present, about not repeating the old story of abandonment that I know too well.
My gran is all I have left of my immediate family. I dont have a mum, an aunt, or a father. And I dont want her to spend her final years feeling like a burden or a nuisance. I dont want her to eat alone day after day or fall asleep feeling like she has no one.
Maybe later on, my life will take a different turn. Maybe Ill travel, fall in love, move out. But right now, this is where Im meant to be. Not out of duty. Not out of guilt. Because I love my gran, and because I love who I am with her.
What would you do in my place?
