Grandparents

I do not have grandparents, all 4 of my grandparents are long gone. We do talk about them though and the fact that they didn't really have much and about what a brilliant existence they would have if they were still here. How well they would be looked after, what they would think of this one or that one, how they would revel at the arrival of great grandchildren and be as spoilt as the kids were.

My granny taught me to knit (not useful), to make a cup of tea (useful), to peel spuds (useful), and to empty and clean a coal fire (not useful). I have cherished memories of evenings in with grandparents as a child and I will never forget their faces, their hair, their songs and stories, their kindness and the love they gave to all of us in abundance. They had no material wealth, in fact they had a damned hard time of it, but the thing they did have was love, and lots of it. Oh and they REALLY knew how to have a good time on next to nothing and to laugh.

I do not have grandchildren, YET. I hope one day to have them and it won't matter whether I am ready or not, I will embrace it for I have seen the joy that grandchildren bring. I know some PEOPLE who do have them and mostly they cherish the little souls that their children brought into this earth. Most PEOPLE find them easy to love. Now that I can imagine.

Some PEOPLE don't get to spend time with their grandchildren, some PEOPLE don't even know they exist. Some PEOPLE are separated from them by; paternity disputes, failed relationships, bitterness or geography. Sometimes its permanent, sometimes it's not. Some PEOPLE will never have them because they never had chidren of their own, or because they were bad parents themselves.

I heard a lovely quote some time ago and I can't remember where from; Listen to what your father says, otherwise you will never know who your grandfather was.

My parents have 14 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild and they love them all in equal measure. They are a source of amusement and you will often hear my parents saying, she is like her and he is like him, it must be brilliant to see your own kids in a little ones face.

There are some things which I have come to realise as a parent, and my boys are fortunate enough to have 2 sets of grandparents that adore them. They each have special and unique relationships with all 4.

Here is the advice that I give to my boys: Your grandparents will do anything for you, they will teach you anything you need to know, they have the most interesting stories and will make you laugh, they will feed you until you can't move and they would give you their last penny, but never ask them for it. The only thing they want in return is your time, so please take the time to let them know you love them. Pick up the phone, go round for breakfast, dinner or tea, they will be more interested than anyone in how your day was or how your doing at school. Do this because you want to, not because its a chore or a bore. Cherish them for they cherish you and they won't always be around.

It seems weird to me that my grandchildren may one day read this blog and know what their nan said to their dad and that all I would ever want from them is their time, but something tells me this wisdom will have been passed on to them long before they can read. They will know though from here, that I looked forward to their arrival and that I will cherish them.