grandparenting
Most importantly we can leave a legacy of unconditional love. We can love them with abandon, even when their par- ents may not like them very much at the moment. As the clever Erma Bombeck said, “A grandparent loves you from when you are a bald baby until you are a bald father and all the hair in between.” The love we give to our grandchil- dren often has a substantial
be diminished.” Nothing is more exciting than welcom- ing each new little soul to our growing family! The learning curve for leaving a legacy as grand- parents is slow and thoughtful, unlike the heat of the refiners’ fire that we felt as young parents. 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! The best part is that we can send them home when we’re tired. For most of us we are no longer responsi- ble for the nitty gritty every day discipline and character building of these children. But the secret is that we are still able to teach them the values we hold dear. They may not snatch it right up and say thanks, but they will remember more than we realize if we make deliberate efforts to teach them about the meaningful and magical things of life. And looking to the far distant future, our example of love and caring will almost surely make them better grandparents.
return that is filled with delight! Our daughter Saydi transcribed this message to me (Linda) straight from the mouth of her three-year-old, who was too young to write: “Dear Grammie, I like your face. I like your cheeks. I like to kiss and cuddle them. Love, Emmeline.” Each situation is different when it comes to nur- turing our grandchildren, but no matter what our cir- cumstances, we can make a difference in their lives! Whether we live next door or half way around the world, we can be deliberate in teaching them the joys of life that will be woven into the fiber of their souls long after we are gone.
GRAND is pleased to welcome New York Times #1 Bestselling Authors Richard and Linda Eyre as regular columnists. The Eyres’ parenting and life-balance books have reached millions and been translated into a dozen languages. As fellow baby boomers, their passion and their writing focus has now shifted to the joy of grandparenting. Linda’s latest book is Grandmothering, and Richard’s is Being a Proactive Grandfather, each of which is reviewed in this issue.
56 GRANDP arenting
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease