On Being Grandparents

We think it’s true what they say: grandchildren are one of the greatest gifts your heart will ever know. We were so fortunate to be able to go home for a visit last month to meet our precious granddaughter, Charlotte. We marveled again at the miracle of a new baby as those tiny fingers grasped ours. To finally be able to hold her in our arms after 6 weeks of looking at pictures was such a joy! We held her at every opportunity because “you can’t spoil a baby before they’re three months old.” (Not that we would have worried about it. From what we’ve heard it’s a grandparent’s prerogative to spoil their grandchildren anyway.) Needless to say, she was the centre of attention and the longer we were there, the more attached we became.

It’s an amazing thing to see your baby with a baby of her own. It makes us wonder where the years have gone and yet it seems right. To see your children as parents is somehow gratifying and we hope that they have learned from our example, as well as from our mistakes, for we know there were many. In a way, being a grandparent gives you an opportunity for a do-over. The following poem really expresses our thoughts.

We'd wish our kids were small again...

If we were granted any wish, I'll tell you what we'd do,
We'd wish our kids were small again, for just a month or two.
To hear their squeals of laughter, to watch them while they play.
And when they ask us to join in, we wouldn't say, "Not today."

To hug again their chubby frames, to kiss away their tears,
and cherish childhood innocence that washed away the years.
Then when it's story time again, we'd stay a little longer,
to answer questions, sing the songs, so memories would be stronger.

But time is callous, wishes, myth, yet God in all his wisdom,
has given us another chance before we join his kingdom.
Your faces may not be just the same, your names are changed, 'tis true,
but yet the smile that radiates, reminds us so much of you.

God must have known that grandparents would need a chance or two.
For many little happy things we hadn't time to do.
So God gave love to grandparents to equal that before, that,
in effect embraces those little lives they bore.

http://www.dennydavis.net/poemfiles/bbychld/grchild.htm

Although we are again on the other side of the world, Charlotte is very often in our thoughts. Once again, we are relying on pictures, videos and Skype to watch her grow and change. We hope for many opportunities in the future to spend time with her and be a part of her life. She is indeed a gift from God to be cherished.