Sangha of Auspicious Companions

The Grandma Stand of New York

Mike Matthews valued his Grandma Eileen and her wisdom so much that he connected her with a coworker who had asked for advice. Calls with Grandma Eileen became a regular occurrence. Mike wanted others to have the grandma experience, so he set up a lemonade stand with the technology to connect her to anyone in New York City who was walking by. “For six years, Eileen called in and spoke with thousands of complete strangers, until she passed away in 2018 at the age of 102.” A few years later, Mike had another idea. “I purchased a new lemonade stand, painted it Grandma Eileen’s favorite color — purple — and invited a kind grandma from my building to participate.” Since then, Grandma Stands have popped up all over the country and internationally with grannies from all walks of life who listen and care. Mike said, “They’ve lived through world wars, don’t care about social media, and have mastered the art of listening and asking questions. They just care about you and who you really are.”

Be The Change

Have a conversation with your grandma, someone else’s grandma, or other kind elder. Open your heart to listen, and see what unfolds and expands.