For the love of Grandparents
grand·par·ent
/ˈɡran(d)ˌperənt/
noun
a parent of one's father or mother; a grandmother or grandfather.
I was worried with Scott going back to work after one whole month together that the kiddos (especially Tucker) would have a hard time. So, I planned an adventure. We would go to Atchison, KS and visit GiGi. GiGi is my grandma and one of my absolute favorite people! Watching my kids gravitate towards her and love spending time with her warms my heart! I planned for us to go through the train depot museum and visit the old train cars! I had no idea how big of a hit it would be or quite how hot it would be walking through those old cars on a sunny, July day!!! Tucker didn’t care about the heat. He held on to GiGi’s hand and they explored every single train car. He pulled her through car after car like he knew exactly where they were going. Like he’d been there before. I guess in his mind he did know. In his mind he and GiGi were on the greatest train adventure of all! They peaked in windows and sat in the old steam engine seat. We took pictures and laughed and even in the scorching heat significant memories were made.
I will hold these memories sacred. I will cherish every one of these moments watching the relationship build and blossom through new lenses. No longer the little girl excited to go to grandma and grandpa’s house because of my own adventures, but to watch what silliness and delight my kids share with grandma instead. What little nuggets of wisdom will she impart on them? What memories will they treasure forever? What inside joke will they have? My kids are very lucky to have GiGi, but my mom (Mimi) and my husband’s parents (Nonnie and Papa) are all amazing grandparents to my kids. Sometimes Tucker will pretend he is writing notes to them and even ask for an envelope. He usually says the same-ish thing every time he starts doing it “Mimi, Gigi, Nonnie, Papa. Me love you and miss you on Christmas. Love, Tucker.” He is 3 so I’m not saying it makes much sense and I don’t know why it always involves Christmas (probably because like his mom, he loves the holiday…am I projecting and forcing that on him—I hope so!), but isn’t it wonderful? His grandparents have already played such a beautiful and important role in his life thus far that he wants to “write” them notes?!
My grandma (and grandpa-may he rest in peace) influenced me in so many ways throughout my life. I know I am a better person for having been around them so much growing up. I don’t think there was an assignment in school that asked who you looked up to that didn’t involve my grandpa in some way. The long road trips to Western Kansas, stopping at the Dairy Queen for ice cream and chili dogs. 1950’s rock and roll that I still enjoy to this day…that’s what grandparents bring. History and wisdom. Fun and laughter. They are simple moments that I remember, but a synonym for simple is effortless and that’s exactly what they were. The moments were effortless sprinkled with pure joy.
By definition a grandparent is a parent of one’s father or mother; a grandmother or grandfather. That is basic and bland; a generic sentence that could never fully encapsulate the magic that grandparents can bring. I read a sentence in the Magnolia magazine that stuck with me and I kept it to look at it often as a reminder.
“There are some lessons that ring truer with each passing year. One being that life happens fast. Our days unfold quickly. Moments become memories before we even notice they’ve slipped away.”
I encourage you to look at your parents and your grandparents, if they are still around, through a filter. Look past any disappointments, disagreements or differences in parenting preferences and embrace their involvement no matter how big or small in your children’s lives. To your kids, they are unicorns. And you are not likely to forget memories made with unicorns.
Have any special memories about your grandparents that you’d like to share? Or perhaps moments shared recently with your grandkids that were special? Post in the comments.
There are many books about grandparents and the special relationships they build, but the one we read most recently was, I Have a Grandma Who… by Rosemary Zibart and illustrated by Valori Herzlich and if you have a big train fan in your household like I do, Night Train, Night Train by Robert Burleigh and Wendall Minor, is our current favorite from this week’s library haul. Happy reading!
