Sticking Close To Grandparents

"Children's children are a crown to the aged, and
parents are the pride of their children."
Proverbs 17:6 NIV

(Original Post: Saturday, December 5, 2009)

God knew what He was doing when He created grandparents. They’re the ones who’ve already discovered how fast little ones stop being little. And...they know how hard it is for a parent to be “all things” to a child. So...when you keep them nearby, they are the absolute BEST at helping to “fill the gap” when the gap needs filling.

I was fortunate to live near my grandparents when I was a child. I loved spending time at their Kaw City home typing on my grandpa’s electric typewriter, sewing on my grandma’s zig-zag Singer sewing machine, sitting in front of the grain elevator waiting for the evening train to roll through town, eating popcorn and watching Gunsmoke, or planting maize in the back yard...grandma taught me to crochet, grandpa taught me to drive...and sometimes he even helped me out of some trouble...

It was the summer of my 16th year. I had driven to the A&W Root Beer Stand looking for friends to hang out with. In my haste to pull into a parking spot, I scraped the whole left side of my car on a concrete menu post. Luckily, there were no dents, but the wide orange stripe on the driver’s side of my new green mustang was not going to be easy to explain to my parents. 

I’m not sure what I thought Grandpa could do, but I drove straight to his house believing he’d have an answer. And he did. He sprinkled paint remover on an old rag and worked his magic on the side of my car. When he finished, the car looked good as new. To this day, I don’t know if he ever told my parents. I know I didn’t. Oops - if mom is reading this, I just let a 40-year-old cat out of the bag :-)

I wouldn’t trade the memories of my grandparents or the valuable lessons I learned from them for all the money in the world. My children were not as fortunate.

Grant and I moved to Texas when Gwen was still a baby, and we allowed our lives to get so busy we barely had time to go “home”  for visits. When we did, our trip was quickly split between two sets of parents plus siblings and cousins on both sides. The children missed out on really knowing their grandparents. That makes me sad. It’s something we can never give back to them.

Grandmas and Grandpas make good babysitters, great teachers, awesome “listeners” and forever friends. They can even help moms and dads carry the heavy load of parenting. If you have a choice, stick close to family. The grass may be greener somewhere else, but grass is no replacement for the love and companionship of a grandparent!

Heavenly Father, help me be the same kind of grandparent I was blessed to know and love. Guide me in prioritizing my days so I have the time and the energy to build precious memories with my grandchildren. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.