Our granddaughter spent the night on Tuesday night. We read about Violet's visit to the country. She took her nap in the spare room bed instead of in the play pen, finally conceding at age three, that it's time to relinquish her old napping spot to her baby cousin. While putting on her scuffed up play shoes to run an errand with Papa and me she told Papa, (the one all the grandkids go to with their "wants"), that she really needs some new pink shoes. We made her favorite dinner, tacos, and she loves guacamole so we made some of that, too. After dinner she took a bubble bath in a tub full of toys and then we put on her clean nightie and snuggled up together and watched Despicable Me for the hundredth time. When it was time to go to sleep we made a bed for her on a pad on the floor next to my side of the bed. Not long into the night, she woke up crying and ended up in bed with me. Papa was the smart one and spent the rest of the night on the couch. I spent the night getting kicked and almost pushed out of a king size bed by someone way less than half my size. In spite of it, she's still my favorite three year old in the whole wide world.
If you would have told me the impact that having grandchildren would make in my life, I'm not sure I'd have believed you. I loved being a mom. Raising my three girls was one of the greatest blessings of God in my life. How could a grandchild hold a candle to mother love? Then I held our first grandchild, (and, it made not a speck of difference that our first grandchild came into our arms via adoption), and I felt that overwhelmingly powerful love that made my heart feel like it could burst, that love that left me totally, terrifyingly vulnerable as my heart was fully captivated by this tiny little person. It was as powerful as mother love, but somehow it was something more. I think that the something more is because I'm older now and know the truth that time really does fly by so fast so I savor and relish my time with them all more, and I'm not as distracted from enjoying them due to the responsibilities and hard work of actually having to parent them.
We have five grandchildren now, ages eight months to eleven years old. How one heart can hold so much love without exploding amazes me. I wonder how five individual kids can all be my favorite, all at once, each one of them for their own unique and beautiful reasons. Maybe grandparenting has helped me to understand God's love just a wee bit more. It has helped me to grasp how I can be God's favorite and you can be His favorite at the same time. He loves us, each one of us for our own unique and beautiful reasons. Isn't that amazing and oh, so wonderful?
Are you a grandparent? If so, I'd love to hear how it has impacted your life!
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Just loved this! I just had a lunch/shopping date with my favorite 5 yr old granddaughter and (currently my only granddaughter at least until March!) There is something about grandchildren that expands and deepens places in your heart that you never thought possible.
ReplyDeleteI remember one of the first times having all 3 of them over for the weekend and thinking how did I do take care of kids and everything else when my kids were young? I think you are correct when you said, "It was as powerful as mother love, but somehow it was something more. I think that the something more is because I'm older now and know the truth that time really does fly by so fast so I savor and relish my time with them all more, and I'm not as distracted from enjoying them due to the responsibilities and hard work of actually having to parent them." And because of that I am much more apt to let everything go and just sit and play, read or laugh with them.
I just LOVE being a grandmother! ;-)
Sharon, I'm so happy to "meet" another "nana" here. God bless you and your grand babies!
DeleteWatching our eight grandkids and seeing how different they are from each other totally amazes me! To think that I could be blessed! Being a grandparent has widened my world and opened my eyes to things I never dreamed possible. Listening and loving and caring and sharing their lives - and sharing mine with them - is such a treasure. I'm a 'softer and gentler' person since becoming a grandparent.
ReplyDelete~Adrienne~
We are both so blessed, my friend!
DeleteI loved this blog, and your favorite 3-year-old is simply adorable. I was made a grandmother last year, and she brings me more joy than I could have possibly imagined. Nobody lights up when I enter a room like she does, and I don't light up for anyone like I light up for her. It's truly an amazing, heavenly love, and I believe my heart will explode if there are ever others. :-)
ReplyDeleteGayle, your heart won't explode, it will just expand! It's such an incredible love, isn't it?
DeleteOh Elizabeth, It IS the most wonderful blessing from God! Being a Gramme has made me realize God's great love for me in such a tangible way. Their love is so demonstrative and beautiful! They truly do think we are the best playmate they've ever had! I think you are right...not having the heavy load of the full responsibility of raising these three precious children I call my "grands" leaves so much more room to fully be in the moment with them. Mine are 6 1/2, 4 and 17 months; two girls and our boy. Each one has special gifts and talents and shows love in different ways. But oh how I love them with every beat of my heart. I can't thank God enough for allowing me this wonder of being in their lives as their Gramme. Thanks for this sweet post! Your grands sound just as special as mine!
ReplyDeleteBlessings today,
Cindy~
I'm so blessed to read about your wonderful grandkids. Being a "nana" makes growing older worth it!
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