grandparenting The joy of leaving a legacy BY LINDA AND RICHARD EYRE N o one can fully describe the exhilaration of holding that first grandbaby in your arms! The baby of your baby, fresh and new to this world.
• Am I teaching them about our family narrative— stories of their ancestors and where they came from? • Do I spend quality time with each of them or send messages of support and love if they live far away? • When they are in our home, am I asking them questions about important things or am I just tending them? • What will they remember about me? • Am I remembering to have fun? • What legacy do I want to leave that will help light the path ahead of them in this jarring but joyful world? • How do I make each feel that he/she is my favorite? And each grandchild can be your favorite in his or her own unique way. Each has unique gifts and unique problems. Some are dreamy and artistic, some are balls of fire, some are quiet and reflective. The legacy we leave will be a little different with each one. We are wiser and even though we’re a bit “wrinkled up” we can make a difference and we can shine in the lives of our grandchildren! If we have several grandchildren, does each one dilute our love? Anne Morrow Lindbergh was so right when she said, “Only love can be divided endlessly and still not “
There lies joy and rapture, anticipation and wonder, along with some worry about what the future will hold for that precious bundle! But the inevitable ups and downs ahead are all wrapped up into a big beau- tiful sphere of adventure for grandparents called, “the joy of leaving a legacy.” It is said that “Parenting is an investment and grandparenting is the return on the investment.” How much time and thought and effort we invest in grandparenting can eventually produce substantial returns. Maybe we don’t start out thinking about leaving a legacy to these beautiful little people who bring so much light to our lives, but as the years go by, we realize that the legacy that we leave to our grandchildren won’t be a bronze plaque dedicated in our honor. What we leave will be invisible. It will be a monument of understanding and integrity and courage and unconditional love inside their minds and hearts that will stand forever. “Only love can be divided endlessly and still not be diminished.” Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Richard and Linda Eyre
Most of us are going to be grandparents much longer than we were mothers or fathers with children
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in our homes. Hover over your life as a grandparent for a moment. Look down from above like a drone and survey these questions as you see yourself with your grandchildren: • How do I maximize my time with my grandchildren? • Do I know what they love? Do they know what I love?
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