My name is Valentina and I turned eight in October. I couldn't wait for November to come, because that's when my grandfather, who I call Papou, turned 80. "We both have eights!" I told Papou, and he smiled. Papou is 80, on the outside, but there's a child that's inside of Papou, and it keeps him feeling young.

The child Inside of Papou remembers growing up on a small Greek island and helping his family pick grapes, lemons, and figs. Papou's child inside lights up when he talks about those sweet figs!


The child Inside of Papou, remembers that he was five when his mom died. Papou's child inside gets sad when he remembers that his mom had an infection on her finger, and no medicine could help her. Papou's child inside felt hurt, even more, when he learned that penicillin was invented the very next year.


The child inside of Papou remembers when he was 13 and his dad married his stepmom. Papou's child inside remembers taking money from his dad, without permission, and walking across the island, to visit his mom's family.


The child Inside of Papou remembers he spent all the money on candy, and was in trouble, when he got back home. Soon after that, Papou's child inside remembers, his dad and stepmom, sending him to work on a fishing schooner. From then on, Papou spent much of his life, at sea.


The child inside of Papou remembers being a kid, so he likes to play games with my little cousins and me. Papou's child inside made up the game, "Cockroach," in which Papou pretends to come home from shopping, and spills groceries all over the floor. When Papou leaves to get a broom, we kids turn into cockroaches, and pretend to eat the food. We try not to giggle, as we wait.


Returning with the broom, Papou runs after us, shrieking, as we laugh and wiggle our fingers, by our mouths, like cockroach whiskers. We beg him to play again. Papou's child inside, patiently repeats the game, over, and over, again- until we all are exhausted!


My Grandma, who I call Yiayia, is 70 years old on the outside, but there's a child that's inside of Yiayia that tells us stories, for hours, as we sit close, and hang on every word.

The child inside of Yiayia remembers growing up in a small, steel-mill town, in western Pennsylvania, during the 1930s, 'Great Depression' years, in America. Yiayia says that's how she learned to bake bread, and to stretch a dollar. Even though Yiayia grew up poor, her child inside always looks proud, to me


The child Inside of Yiayia remembers being the seventh child, of her nine siblings and watching her mom use ration tickets to buy food, shoes, and clothing. Yiayia's child inside remembers, one time, she had to wear a pair of her little brother's shoes.


The child inside of Yiayia remembers a caring teacher who let her help around the house in exchange for some money to go to the movies, as a treat. Yiayia's child inside seems grateful when she remembers further, that the same teacher, taught her sister and her, to play the piano. Yiayia's child inside has never forgotten that kind teacher.


The child Inside of Yiayia remembers feeling excited when she once received an orange, for Christmas, wrapped in a pretty netting, with a big , beautiful bow. Yiayia's child inside also remembers sitting around her family's radio, to hear stories, and also to hear President Franklin D Roosevelt address the nation. Yiayia's child inside really loved that!


The child Inside of Yiayia remembers hiding in a coal bin, from the truant officer. Yiayia's child inside giggles, as she tells me about a time when all nine kids, in her family, were home, but each didn't know the others were home, too Yiayia's child inside grins and lifts her shoulders, when she shares that.


The child Inside of Yiayia laughs as she describes her mom, who only spoke Greek, talking to the truant officer, who was at their door. Yiayia's child inside remembers that, she and all of her siblings, tried hard not to laugh, as they listened.


Yiayia's child inside explains how her mom, tried to tell the truant officer that the kids had no good shoes to wear, to school, that day. Yiayia's child inside was excited to describe how her, normally quite, mom SCREAMED the explanation, IN GREEK, while shaking a shoe, at the truant officer! Yiayia's mom shook a shoe, to help him understand but, Yiayia's child inside remembers that the truant officer got very scared, and quickly ran away, trembling, and mumbling, "Ok, ok."


The child Inside of Yiayia remembers once, when she went to the birthday party, of a rich girl, from school. Yiayia's child inside feels sad when she tells me how the birthday girl slammed the door in her face, because Yiayia didn't have a present to give. Yiayia's child inside has never forgotten that, so, Yiayia has taught her own kids to never act that way, to someone who has less. Yiayia taught that to my Mom, and then, my Mom taught it to me.


My mom is 34, on the outside, but like Papou and Yiayia, Mom also has a child inside of her. The child inside of Mom remembers being the youngest of five children. Mom's child inside remembers giggling, uncontrollably, with her twin sister, at night, as their parents shouted, "Go to sleep!"


The child Inside of Mom remembers how icky it felt when people called them, "The Twins." That's why Mom's child inside helps Mom to be a good teacher, who treats each of her students as individuals. The child inside of Mom likes to laugh with her students, too. Mom says it's important for children to know that adults were once children, and can relate to their feelings.


The child Inside Mom remembers when she was four, and her older brother was 17, and protesting against the Vietnam War. Mom's child inside always remembers her brother teaching her how wasteful war is, and how it's important to boldly speak out for peace!


The child Inside Mom remembers running outside, by her family's rose bushes, as her older siblings chased her and her twin sister, around the yard. Mom's child inside recalls giggling, and feeling special, as her oldest brother, took many photographs with his camera.


The child Inside of Mom remembers drawing pictures, and selling them to family members, for twenty-five cents, each. The child inside Mom still makes time to draw with me.


The child inside Mom remembers playing with her cousins at family parties, as Greek Music, filled the air. That's why Mom's child inside smiles when I play with my cousins, too. Mom's child inside thinks it's funny to listen to us talk. The child inside Mom laughed when she overheard my cousin ask me if a real giraffe was going to come through his window, because he heard his mom say that, "A draft," was coming through his window.


The child Inside Mom remembers sometimes getting words wrong, too, or singing the wrong words to songs. Mom might not realize, but her child inside, still does that, when she sings along to the radio! Mom's child inside loves music, and remembers her parents listening to Frank Sinatra sing a song called, "Young At Heart."

He sings, "Don't you know that it's worth, every penny on earth, to be young at heart?" Papou, Yiayia, and Mom, do know, and have given me a treasure by showing me that, the child I am, now, will ALWAYS be the child inside of ME!