The Power of Grandparents

I have had the wonderful opportunity to know all four of my grandparents. Unfortunatly, my paternal grandfather died when I was 10 but I do remember him. In this day and age of people marrying later in life, and having children even later, it is a real gift to be able to know your grandparents. My husband still has all 4 of his grandparents around to this day, and each time we have visited we have wondered if it will be the last time we see one of them.

A few years ago one of Ben's grandparents was diagnosed with dementia and last night found out that his one grandfather is terminally ill and probably won't live more than another week.

I think one of the hardest things about losing your grandparents is you lose that touchstone to your past. I loved hearing stories about how when my grandmothers grew up, when my grandfather was in Europe during WWII, and stories of when your mother or father were small and how horrible they were, or struggles they had with them. (I always loved those stories personally).

We all know that a parents is SUPPOSED to love us. They are, after all, our parent! But when a grandparent shows us that unconditional love, it surprises us and reminds us that we are, indeed, worth of love. Grandparents hold a power to teach us how to love and how to care for family. They have stories that no one else has. They also are never in a hurry, they have the knowledge that life is more than schedules and demands - it's taking the time for a stroll outside or smelling the proverbial flowers.

I think that's what I miss the most about my grandparents - the love, the stories and the time they spent with me where I felt like I was one of the most important people in their world. And, I know that my husband is struggling with the thoughts that he is losing this valuable resource in his life. I hope my children appreciate their grandparents as much as I did. I learned so much from mine and will take those lessons until the day I too become a grandparent.