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Yiayia's Journey Part 1

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My Yiayia (that's Greek for grandmother) has never liked people making a fuss over her. But this loving granddaughter simply can't help it. Her life story ~ full of such grace, so many struggles and poignantly teachable moments ~ is truly inspiring. So with a humble heart, here goes:   Penelope Vernardou was born to a poor but proud peasant family on the southern Greek island of Kythera in the village of Agia Anastasia on March 25th, 1910. See the picture below? She's the grumpy little "koukla" (doll) with the big   hat ~ displaying even then the trademark sass for which she's become fondly known. As the photo also illustrates, her father was absent. Back then, tough times left the Greek economy faltering. So like many other Greek men, Yiayia's father left Greece to seek work in Australia, then send money home. He left when Yiayia was only an infant and would ultimately be gone for 15 long years.                                 So  Yiayia' s
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Yiayia's Journey Part 2

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In 1931, my 21 year old  Yiayia  continued to toil in the olive orchards alongside her beloved mother on the island of Kythera in Greece. And while her heart ached for the death of her father, the course of this peasant girl's life would take a dramatic turn. On a summer day, she rode her donkey 'Keecho' side saddle to the platia (village square). And she couldn't help but laugh when.. bullseye! A fly had landed right in a man's cup of coffee. The 38-year-old Kyt herian man had just returned from pursuing business opportunities in America (like so many other Greeks). The tall, former soldier rarely cracked a smile after his time fighting Axis forces in World War I. And yet as he cursed and flicked out that bug, he couldn't help but notice  Yiayia 's infectious laughter and her beautiful spirit. His name ~ John Alex Conomos.   A beautiful portrait turned painting of Yiayia taken later in life. I love the vibrancy of the colors. Papou fought in
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Yiayia's Journey Part 3

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After my grandparents wed on our native Greek island of Kythera in 1932, they lived with his parents and sister (pic below). While  Yiayia  grew to love her new husband, life at home was far from ideal. Disgusted that  Yiayia' s impoverished, widowed mother could not provide a sizeable dowry, her in-laws were cruel. Her mother-in-law refused to let  Yiayia' s mother visit their home. And when  Yiayia  gave birth to a beautiful daughter named Chrysanthy, her m other-in-law shunned her baby too.  Yiayia  couldn't help but muse over that sad irony ~ as she had graciously named Chyrsanthy after her. But as  Yiayia became fond of saying, "such is the life."                                         So while my Papou toiled in the fields,  Yiayia  also worked - but with little Chrysanthy strapped to her body. Years later I would visit their ancestral home and peer into the well from which  Yiayia  drew water (pic below). I imagined her perilously toting her baby, terr
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Yiayia's Journey Part 4

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Though my Greek grandfather 'Papou' promised to never take Yiayia from the island, it was a vow he couldn't keep. The Greek economy was weak. The Great Depression was destroying his investments in America. So in 1933, he returned to the US post haste to manage them personally. Yiayia and baby Chrysanthy followed in a life changing journey. I often wonder - what was it like for her t o leave behind the security of that tiny Greek village? In the blink of an eye, she who had only ever traveled by her donkey 'Keecho' would now journey by ship. (And poor Yiayia was seasick the entire way.) And when she finally gazed upon that bustling, foreign, and intimidating land of opportunity, how did she feel?   The level of sacrifice and hardship that immigrants like Yiayia would endure is unfathomable. Yet to envision her name 'Penelope Conomos' written on an Ellis Island document of admittance into the United States is truly humbling. As my Yiayia fondly says - &qu
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