On Being Grandma

I have the most lovely grandchildren!

I had almost forgotten how much there is to learn from looking at the world through a child's eyes.  Bridger and Kacy are happy just about every second of the day.  Their brief unhappy moments pass like a blink and are forgotten, and they're on to the next adventure. Every little action throughout the day is an event--a happy discovery; each day is a connect-the-dot journey from miracle to miracle. 

It makes me remember how much I loved my "Mommy Years".   I tried to immerse myself in each stage of being a mother. It saddens me to hear young mothers say "I can't wait til she can hold her bottle", "I can't wait til he starts school" or "I can't wait until I can go back to work".  I never wished those years and stages away. I knew they would go by faster than I could imagine.  And they did.  I'm grateful that I have no huge regrets--I was far from being a "perfect" mother and there are things I would do differently if I could do it again; but I know that in any mothering moment I did the best I could at that time.  There were definitely moments that weren't great, but at least I was trying.  And there were times when somehow I managed to do and say and be just right!

Even now I love the stage of motherhood (and grandmotherhood) that I am in.  My children are grown and doing well.  (Their happiness and self-esteem is a credit to their own strength and choices, not to any great thing Jerry or I did as parents.)  I'm proud of my kids!

As for being Grandma... this is the reward for being Mom.  I'm loving this time I have with Bridger and Kacy!  The only bittersweet part of it is that I miss my other grandkids a lot.

I love you with all my heart Bridger... Kacy... Mason... Ericka... RJ... Quintin... Emily.

(Illustrations for this post coming soon!)