It’s happened. I am a Grandmother to a beautiful baby boy, Zander, that looks remarkably identical to my firstborn. My daughter-in-law showed a baby picture of my son, Christopher, to her friend and she assumed it was a picture of Zander. I have to mention that we have a picture of Christopher at 18 that looks exactly like my father’s picture at the same age. While this does not fare well for Zanders future hairline, my father is one of the happiest people I have ever met, so I think any genetic tie to him is a positive.
I will be heading out to learn my role as a Grandmother in the next few weeks. My own Grandparents were very involved with us as children. One of my favorite pictures has always been one of my Grandfather when he was babysitting. I was waiting for my siblings to get home from school and not very happily, apparently. He seemed amused by my irritation.
My grandparents were pivotal in my life as a young adult. Even at my worst, when I was drinking way too much, and being a complete knucklehead, I would drop everything and pick up my Grandmother for church on Sunday because I could never fathom disappointing her. If I ever did, she never showed it. She loved me unconditionally.
When I moved out on my own, I was a frequent visitor to my Grandparents. I would walk in the door and she would immediately spring into action to cook something…usually with gravy. Every year for Christmas, we would get a gift box of odds and ends and crocheted slippers. I loved the slippers and the random things in the gift boxes. Even as a selfish teenager, I understood on some level that my grandparents were on a fixed income and had very little money left over. What they gave us was from money skrimped from bills.
As I head out to see my beautiful grandson, the lessons that I learned from my Grandmother are ever present in my mind.
- Children need more time than presents.
- Grandchildren are a gift to never be taken for granted.
- Grandparents have the opportunity to be the pillar in the storm of life while parents are trying desperately to figure out how to meet the needs emotionally and financially for their family.
- and of course…everything goes better with gravy.
I hope to be the type of Grandmother that I benefited from. Granny…if you are listening, I will always love you and thank you for being a pillar in my life. I hope I do you proud.
Mothering, Marriage and Menopause 