By Oliwia Milczarek, FE23

I’m sitting in the warmth of my home, on a call with my great-grandmother, Maria Matyasik. She was born in 1925, after World War I. My sweet great-gram-gram is currently 98 years old. For as long as I can remember, she has told me stories from her life that have ever since been able to motivate and inspire me, and like any other grandma she has her own little nicknames for me.

Milczarek: So dear Gram-Gram, can you tell me about your first job and what influence it had on you?

Gram-Gram(Matysiak): Oliwciu, my first job was in the post office at the end of WWII, and let me tell you, it wasn’t an easy one. Because of some orders, we weren’t able to deliver certain letters, other letters were opened and read and if their contents were improper the letter would sadly never arrive to the addressee. All those years working in the post office have taught me respect for other people’s privacy. I also realized that time flows extremely quickly, and that the little things are important.

Milczarek: Is that why you decide to start a family so early in your life? 

Gram-Gram(Matysiak): Possibly my dear, but partially also because I met your great grandfather. Kaziu was a charming, dashing and intelligent young man who also was the head of the village. He always helped others in need. That’s why I had no doubts about becoming his wife. 

Milczarek: Gram-Gram, you also became a mother pretty fast. Was it easy to raise your children? And do you have any interesting stories about them?

Gram-Gram(Matysiak): Sweet little crumb, raising children is never easy, because everyone is different. Motherhood is an exciting part of a woman’s life, which brings a lot of happiness but also sorrow. 

Milczarek: What do you mean by sorrow? Any particular story you have associated with it?

Gram-Gram(Matysiak): Y’know how little girls like to feel like princesses? My sweet little daughter Małgosia wore a pretty white dress, a flower wreath and very neatly curled hair for her confirmation day (in the Christian tradition), on this day she looked just like a little princess. We all went to church and we were extremely happy, but I was not prepared for the horror I would endure just a couple of hours later. After the ceremony we went home to continue celebrating, and I was serving the guests tea and sweets. When I was done I wanted to take care of my youngest daughter, but Małgosia stopped me and said that she would take care of her younger sister. I agreed not knowing what would happen next. I saw the girls, little Małgosia smiling happily and Urszule in the baby stroller. When I went into the kitchen after a few minutes to grab the cake baking in the electric baking pan, I noticed my sweet little child, in her little white dress, lying on the floor completely still, her body lifeless. The paramedics didn’t make it in time, Małgosia died from an electric shock, and her happiest day was her last. 

Milczarek: Gram-Gram after such a sad incident, did you become mentally stronger as a mother?

Gram-Gram(Matysiak): Sweet pea, it definitely gave me more strength and courage to face fate. 

Milczarek: If I understand it correctly Grandma, that was not the only sad thing that happened in your motherhood, right?

Gram-Gram(Matysiak): Fate puts us through many trials and after that trial I faced another one, which was fighting for my eldest daughter’s life. Hania had heart problems, that required surgical intervention. I searched for a heart surgeon that would help my daughter, but only one decided to help her. It was Zbigniew Religa, a not-so-well-known heart surgeon at the time. They performed open-heart surgery, and because of that had to stop her heart for two minutes, they were the longest two minutes of my life. But the two minutes also gave me a lot of happiness. To this day I enjoy Hania’s little anecdotes.

Milczarek: Gram-Gram, could you tell me your secret to surviving hard times?

Gram-Gram(Matysiak): Sweety, sad and happy times are written into the life of every single one of us. My children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are my happiness and strength. Everyone has it, they just need to find it.