Yesterday I hit a milestone age.
My thoughtful husband secretly got balloons, a pretty cake, Neapolitan ice cream, and invited our four in-town grandkids and their parents over for a surprise birthday party.
How these grandchildren light up my life and bring joy—on that day and every other day. We have such fun when we go on outings, or I get to have them over. At ages 5, 9, 9, 10, 11 and 14, the three girls and three boys all so busy now during the school year with homework, sports, school plays and programs . . . that I have to make an appointment to see them!
Truly grandkids are the crown of the aging population! I don’t know what yours call you, but ours call us Nandy and Poppa. But there are lots of colorful grandparent names. There’s Ga-Ga and DuPah, Nonny and Papps, GiGi and Honey, and Ama White Car (my friend Ann’s twin grandboys called her that from before they were two years old and it stuck.) They still call her that at age 15.
No matter what name you’re called or where you live, there’s one thing most of us have in common: a desire to connect with our grandchildren! That’s why you read this blog. We want to love our grandkids well and be a support and positive influence in their lives.
And let me assure you, grandparents are not obsolete! They hold an important place in the life of every family. Families are more mobile than ever, with more frequent moves for corporate or military assignments so there’s more long-distance grandparenting. Kids are far more high-tech, very advanced at using computers and smartphones.
The pressures on families today are increasing as parents struggle to balance work with family and a myriad of demands and challenges. That’s why grandparents are needed more than ever—to be not only a support to fatigued parents but life-givers who provide continuity to the family and a much-needed sense of stability, security, and unconditional love to grandchildren.
We can make a tremendous difference in the lives of our grandsons and granddaughters whether they are two or eighteen or some age beyond—by simple things like believing in them, blessing them, and staying connected with them whether we live close or far away.
Yet blessing is always a two-way street, and we are the recipients of great grace when we get to be grandparents. Let me encourage you, no matter how busy you are, to make a call to them, send hugs and love across the miles via e-mail, or say a prayer for your grandkids today.
Ponder and share with a friend:
• What ways do your grandchildren bless you?
• What’s your favorite thing about being a grandparent?
