In the early mornings after dropping my kids off at school, I climb into my grandmother’s bed before she wakes up.

After 40 years, this is still my favorite place, where I find the most comfort. Granny’s house is my haven.

My grandmother, Audrey Niau, has been the backbone of our family for 84 years, raising three children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren — all in the same Kaimuki home where she spent her childhood and has lived since the 1930s.

Growing up, we always had a full house, with people constantly coming and going: aunties, uncles, cousins, friends and neighbors, in addition to the nearly dozen family members living together at any given time. Her house was always open and in old-school Hawaiian style, everyone left with a full stomach.

Over the years, some of us have come and gone, but never too far. When I was in my 20s, I moved around the corner (exactly five houses away) to gain my independence. That did not last long. Other family members have struck out on their own, but the comforts of home — and Granny — always brought them back.

Perhaps it’s because we can always count on her to lend an ear, give advice and point us in the right direction. Or maybe it’s because she always sees the positive in life, has a great sense of humor and simply lives by example.

My grandmother is the most compassionate person I know, always placing the needs of others above her own. She has a talent for earnestly listening to people’s problems for hours on end, despite having her own burdens. She taught us to have a resolute and steadfast faith in God as we watched her battle cancer … twice. And to give thanks in all circumstances.

We sometimes laugh at the fact that she’s never experienced an empty nest and unlike other retirees, is spending her golden years, along with my grandfather, in a full house.

She jokes that she just can’t get rid of us. That’s because home is where the heart — and Granny — is. — Kristen Consillio