I’ve been thinking about my grandparents this morning, which
if you’ve been following this blog to any extent is clearly nothing new.
Not everyone gets to grow up with grandparents, so it’s slightly
amazing that my siblings and I were surrounded by grandmas and grandpas far
into adulthood.
Our dad’s parents lived about fifty yards from us on the
farm, and as long as we behaved like decent little human beings their door was
always open.
Our mom’s parents were thirty miles away, making them by
default the “special” grandparents.
There was no difference in the amount of love and family commitment; it
was simply a question of proximity.
We also had a bonus grandma – our maternal great-grandmother
-- who had a jolly laugh that made her belly jiggle. She smelled of moth balls and peppermint
candy, dressed like the dowager queen, and there was nothing not to love about
her.
This wealth of riches, grandparent-wise, added elements to
our lives that we couldn’t have experienced any other way. Our great-grandma passed away when I was in
grade school or maybe junior high, and our paternal grandpa when I was a high
school sophomore, but we had years and years with our paternal grandma and our
mom’s parents. They were there for us
when we started families of our own, and our kids have vivid and important
memories of them.
By their willing involvement in our lives, each of our
grandparents earned a lasting spot in memory.
So …. more about the “special” grandparents later. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, here’s a picture of our Great-Grandmother
Cummings (with whiny-baby Judy).
Thanks Judy! I have many rich memories of my grandparents also. It is something I think about for my children. They will remember Mike's parents very well, mine not so much and in Emily's case - will never even meet my mom. Being older parents as we are, it saddens me some that my grandchildren (if we ever have some) might not know us.
ReplyDeletePatty
That's a sobering thought all right. It's easy to take for granted the things (and people) that were always part of us ... which, as I reach a chronological milepost in my life, makes me want to preserve and fully appreciate those memories!
DeleteI love you Judy and want to thank you for sharing your thoughts. I hang on to every word you share and remember the many days and hours I enjoyed at the farm. I was so blessed to be welcomed there and felt like I could pretty much do as I pleased. Some of my favorite memories began there. I'm so proud to be your AuntB.
ReplyDeleteThank you, AuntB ... in every way. Family has always meant everything to me ... and these days more than ever. I love you back!
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