BY CLARA A RODRIGUES | NT NETWORK
They are not alone; the hill is spotted with trekkers. Mounting a difficult climb on Goa’s hills, the contours of two figures make their way to the top. It is a grandfather-grandson duo trying to wrap bonds around fleeting time by conquering as many peaks as possible.

Lawrence Braganza and ten-year-old Jeryl from Siolim have found a perfect way to forge a closer relationship - by doing things together, even if does not involve much talking for the tiring climbs only leave you with beads of sweat and huffing for breath.
I once popped the idea of joining me for a trek to my grandson, and he jumped at it says Lawrence recalling how it all began. “On the way we talk of the various things around us like the varieties of trees, etc. On treks it is my grandson who is usually ahead. In our trek groups it is normally the case that Jeryl is the youngest to climb the hill first and I am the oldest person,” he states proudly.
Grandparents have a special connect with their grandchildren, a unique relationship. Psychologists lay a lot of emphasis on the importance of this filial bond. It helps in the mental and emotional growth of a child. Grandparents too benefit a lot from this relationship. Apart from getting some pleasant company, they also get to share their valuable experiences with their grandchildren who eager to know more of ‘what happened then’.   
Anna Vaz from Panaji says that her grandmother will always remain the beacon of her life. She says, “She is no longer with us. She was helpful and extremely active. Her love for nature fuels my passion and consciousness for the environment. I remember her words when I come across certain situations. I still remember the time when she saw me plucking flowers and she chided me for taking all the flowers from the tree saying that instead I should just take how much I need and not merely going on plucking because there are so many flowers. That taught me the biggest lesson of my life, not to be greedy and take only what is required. The holidays were the best days, as I would go to my grandmother’s house in Maxem, Canacona. There were so many animals around and everything was so pastoral. It was my getaway to nature.”
In many parishes in Goa, Grandparent’s Day is celebrated on July 26 - the feast of St Anna and St Joaquim, the parents of Mother Mary. Not much is known of St Anna says, Fr Francisco Calderia, “There are no much texts on these saints. What we know of them is all deduced from the virtue of their daughter Mother Mary.”  
At the Immaculate Conception Church, Panaji, Grandparent’s Day will be celebrated with a mass which will be followed by a programme put by the kids. Actions songs, Goan folk dances, religious skits are some of the items chalked out for the programme.
At the St Anne Church in Talaulim, the feast of St Anne is marked with the celebration of ‘Touceachem Fest’. According to many, St Anna’s intercession is sought to seek a compatible life partner. At the ‘Touchachem Fest’, people come and offer cucumbers to St Anne. There is no known reason why the cucumber is chosen says Fr Calderia adding that it could perhaps be because it is a seasonal fruit. The offering is generally made by the unmarried.
They say grandparents are those with silver in their hair and gold in their heart. Grandparents are a real treasure. And if you have them, you are fortunate.