“The blessing of being a grandparent was knowing all the things that had to be done and having the time to do them. Some of her friends thought that extra patience came with age, but that wasn’t it, of course. Their calendars just weren’t as full.”
— All Adults Here: A Novel by Emma Straub
This is a day that we give thanks.
Having endured a chaotic year of schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic, we now celebrate Mowgli’s commencement into high school.
Grandparenting is the reward for surviving parenthood.
I kneel before my friends who for many reasons accepted the responsibilities of parent for their grandchildren. Patience for them must come with age because their calendars are plenty full and their energy depleting.
Mike and I have always attributed our success as parents to our children. They are by nature kind, generous, and compassionate, attributes for which I judge all people.
Although there are many handbooks for parenting, no child is born with a manual for their specific model. Hmmm. God, could you get IT busy on that?
I salute our daughter, the boys’ mother.
She treats each child as though she had read the manual, exhibiting much patience in difficult situations. We couldn’t be the grandparents that we are if we didn’t trust her mothering.
We can be the source of unconditional love because we have the patience that comes with having extra time and fewer responsibilities. We are free to ignore the sulkiness and enjoy the cheer when it surfaces.
We are there…
…as these children mature into adults. Our retirement is being lived out in the presence of our grandsons. They are learning grandparenting, retirement, aging from us.
Living daily with the boys, we get to enjoy the minor victories, the silly jokes, and the daily growth that we may have missed with our own children, because we have the time to watch and reflect.
Our retirement is not what we envisioned. But it couldn’t be better than this.
