SO MANY GRANDPARENTS

Happy Grandparent's Day to all you grandparents today!

For those of you striving to be the best grandparents ever, let me tell you my story.

I became a grandparent at a relatively young age. I got married young and had kids right away, and our son followed the same pattern.

We were planning the guest list for our son’s wedding when our friends were planning the guest list for their kid’s grammar school graduation.

We were always ahead of the game when it came to life cycle events, so we were excited when our son called to tell us that we would soon be grandparents.

The key word here is “son”. Not our daughter. We didn’t get the memo that being the grandparents of a son’s child was a world apart from being the grandparents of a daughter.

At first, everything went as expected. Deciding with the in-laws who’s buying the crib vs. the dresser. Dropping not-so-subtle hints about baby names. Clearing the calendar for the month before and the years after, we would be needed to help with our grandchild.

But once the baby came, it was clear the rules are different when it’s the daughter-in-law who sets the standards.

There was no call in the middle of the night that labor had started. No rushing out the door to get to the hospital. No anxious waiting to hear that the baby is healthy and you have a baby girl/boy.

And we were fine with that. When I was in labor twenty-some years past, all I wanted was my mother with me, husband optional.

Seeing our new granddaughter for the first time was divine. There was our tiny human wrapped in the hospital blankie held tightly in our grown son’s arms. 

Such a blessing.

However, it was a crowded affair. You see, ours is a blended family.

We’re taking about numerous grandparents. In our case; 

Grandma 1 (the mother’s mother.) 

Grandma 2 (the father’s mother.) 

Grandpa 1 (the mother’s father.) 

Grandpa 2 (the father’s father.) 

Plus Grandmas *S-1, 2 (the Grandpas wives) 

and Grandpas *S -1,2 (the Grandmas husbands).

Our daughter-in-law had a Great-Grandma, and our son had a much beloved Great-Grandma (Nonny) and Great-Grandpa (Poppy).

That’s not even counting the assorted *S-great-grandparents laying claim to privileges of joy with this precious newborn.

Can there be a limit to so many Grands and Great-grands? I don’t think so.

In our family, we share. We share our joy and our sorrows. Our victories and our disappointments.

We share babies.

The first baby and all the ones who have followed are deeply loved by all of us as the family grows, no matter how it grows.

As Great-Grandparents, my mother and father broke the mold. Just like they did in their role as grandparents and parents. They were deeply respected, loved and honored by all. They were the super-stars of grand-parenthood.

My husband and I were talking recently, and we agreed, we were outclassed as grandparents. The grandkids always loved “Nonny and Poppy” more, and that’s okay with us.

The amount of love a person has for a grandparent is infinite. You can’t run out of it.

Sometimes there may be ebbs and flows. A toddler’s loving enthusiasm can’t last through the teenage years but will likely rebound as adults. There may be a quarrel or forces preventing you from growing close to your grandchild. 

And that, too, will work out in the end. Remember, if love doesn’t win out in the end, it’s not the end. 

Grandparents, be generous. Be patient and understanding. Be content with whatever portion you are served.

Grandparenting is a gift from God. Be thankful.

By Susan Diamond
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*My mother hated when the word "step" was attached to any member of the family added after a new marriage. "S" designations used for clarity only.