This week will be a short entry. I am too tired to type. Why? Well, you know those teenagers that I am always talking about? They grow up. They get married. They have children. These are your grandchildren. Your heart will grow three times its size the first time you see them through the glass in the hospital. Your life will never be the same.
Back to the tired part. My daughter and her husband take an annual trip to visit a childhood friend. They used to take their children with them. Now their children have school and activities and their own lives. It happens. Enter Oh-Mommy and An-Daddy.
I had four children. I packed countless lunches, helped with mountains of homework, ran thousands of carpools. It's just that I haven't done it in a while. I am out of practice. Well, resting on the used to do it laurels just wouldn't do. I had to jump in with both feet and do it all now.
And I am. My daughter has everything incredibly organized-lists, clothes tagged for each day, people to help-but two brown-eyed children with my DNA are counting on their grandfather and me to run their lives in a way that feels familiar and comforting. I remember a family member who would stay with us when my parents were out of town. She loved us but it was her way or the highway. The days without my parents felt foreign and unfamiliar. Children like familiar.
Today is my last day on duty. I am looking forward to my own bed without a three-year-old sleeping on my head. Can't wait to drink my coffee at 7:00 A.M. and not have to move quite so fast. It will be nice to watch the news instead of Dinosaur Train. But last night, after the 3rd bedtime story, my granddaughter, almost asleep, put her arms around me and said, " I don't want this to be your last night Oh-Mommy." And today, as I dropped my grandson off at pre-school, he turned around, shot me his huge grin, gave me a cavalier wave and said, "Goodbye Oh-Mommy. Don't forget I love you!!" .....and ran into his school, without me.
Your heart three times as big? Let me amend that. Make that four. Oh-Mommy. I mean Chrissie
5 comments:
I know what you mean. just wish mine were closer-I hate to be the Chrstmas Grandma. Have you ever addressed the Grandmother competition?
No but I have definitely watched it happen....and instead of grandparenting being a joyful new part of life, it becomes a contest-and an unhappy one at that.
My heart's bigger just reading this. Lucky grandkids.
What is changing in the USA is how many children are being raised by their grandparents..drugs, jail, just irresponsible parenting-whatever has taken their parents has left 50 somethings raising another family.
some of us don't have a choice- we missed it somehow with our own kid,(but still don't know how) maybe we can get it right this time with our grandchild. It was me or the state and I could not let that happen. I just pray I live long enough to get him up and grown.
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