Our little community has 1 main loop road, one lane and an alley. My neighbors across the ally have a visiting grandson. His sweet voice leaps the hedges with sweet insistent questions. His grandparents are masterful with answers. They have done all kinds of activities, biking, (I absolutely LOVE Strider bikes) sung songs and eaten outside, all the while a high pitched little boy voice is filling the air with joy.
I have only heard Fred and Barb in action, but they obviously take the job of grandparenting seriously. They are engaged, energetic and encouraging. I am sure it can be one of the most happy and rewarding relationships you can have, but of course it does not come without challenges.
Listening to the wonderful fun that was happening across the alley got me thinking about the years I lived with Gram and Bompy (my cousin's name for grandpa). I lived with them when I was 3 and 4. My mother was frail and I was apparently THE challenging child who tipped her life into unmanageable, I was a tad too busy and too loud.
I guess cuteness isn't everything because my cuteness got sent to Burlington, Vermont. The photos are cuteness personified, ready to be a flower girl for my Aunt Eloise.
The house sat on a double lot so the back yard was huge, stretching all the way to the street behind. Directly across the road was a preschool and I believe that was 'sanity' for my grandparents. Listening to the energy Barb and Fred were expending made me realize the amount of time I lived with my grandparents was truly an act of love on their part. Any grandparent would appreciate a few hours respite from constant business.
Odd as this sounds, I equate myself with a 'military brat', moving about by the bid of military protocol and timing. Each new parenting situation in my young life reflected in a 'base change'. It is all about adapting, change and making good choices. If I am remembering correctly, I lived with my biological parents, my grandparents Ruby and Bill, my friend Lousie Windmillers parents/family for a summer and my Aunt Eloise and Uncle David for some period of time. My father eventually married Inez and I had a second mother, cheerleader, guide and person who could influence my life.
We each walk an unknown path, It sometimes seems miraculous that I have made it to my 60's in tact. The saying with the Parkinson community is you do what you need to do when you need to do it. Be Strong. Be There.