[blockquote]As time goes by, each generation sees many changes, but one thing that never changes is the love of grandparents for their grandchildren. But for many families, grandparenting in 2011 looks very different than it did in years gone by.[/blockquote]
Whether grandparents live nearby or miles apart, time together is precious.
Angie Campbell, Jim Glover and Terri Volk, all of Owensboro, recently reflected on memories of their grandmothers and grandfathers, while talking about the rewards of their own experiences as grandparents.
Angie Campbell remembers when her grandmother babysat while her mother worked. “Grandma fixed our breakfast, dinner (that was what the noon meal was called back then) and she fixed supper. Grandma washed clothes, hung them out on the clothesline and tended to the house. We played outside, we rode bikes, roller-skated, played with friends, played games and basically came in when we were told. Grandma did not drive a car and rarely left the house for any reason.”
But Angie and her husband Bob are much more active and on the go! “Today’s grandparents drive cars, trucks, lawn mowers, boats, motorcycles and whatever else they might have in the garage!” she says. “They know their grandchildren in a much different way than my Grandma did, which is probably because of all the different things available to share with our grandchildren.”
[quote_right]“Seeing the world through our grandchildren’s eyes has been the most wonderful journey. I wouldn’t want to miss a minute of it. Our grandchildren are God’s special gift to grandparents. We feel the responsibility to love, nurture and support our grandchildren.”
-Terri Volk
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Jim Glover agrees. “We are much healthier and much more mobile than our parents or grandparents,” he says. “We were privileged to retire much younger and with more financial stability than our grandparents.”
Jim remembers his own grandparents as “homebodies” who rarely traveled. “If they did, their top speed was 35 miles per hour!” he says with a laugh. “Our grandparents never traveled outside their immediate area. When they did leave home, they had to milk the cow before they left, and be home early enough to milk again that night. Their distance was very limited.”
“Flying for our grandparents was out of the question,” Jim says, but for him and his wife Lisa, “We have been privileged to have always been an important part of her life. “My parents always supported our sons in every endeavor,” she said. “They traveled across the state to all the track meets, football games, cross country meets and academic team competitions. My Mom never hesitated to help out. I truly appreciated having my parents in town and their influence on my children’s lives.”
Terri and her husband Don have continued that family tradition. They are also very involved in their grandchildren’s everyday lives. “We live only a few miles apart, go to the same church, and we are always on call to help out,” she said. “We usually eat together after church for Sunday lunch. Over the years, there have been many books read, walks in the park, tears wiped away, bandages applied to non-existent boo-boos, preparing supper from the fruits of our garden and baking endless chocolate chip cookies.”
Whether grandparents live nearby or miles apart, time together is precious. Angie’s granddaughters live in Owensboro and she sees them often. “That is a blessing indeed!” she said. In fact, until her grandson moved to Texas, Angie admits she had only flown once in her life. Now, when it’s time for the “Sky Miles Nana” to return to Owensboro, Angie says, “We go to the airport and I fly out of Aidan’s life for a few months … and that, my friend, is the major pull at the heartstrings.”
Angie said she has discovered the old saying is true: “If I knew grandchildren were so much fun, I would have had them first!”
Terri summed up the thoughts of grandparents everywhere when she said, “Seeing the world through our grandchildren’s eyes has been the most wonderful journey. I wouldn’t want to miss a minute of it. Our grandchildren are God’s special gift to grandparents. We feel the responsibility to love, nurture and support our grandchildren. I read an article once that called grandparents ‘nature’s built-in nurturers.’ I hope one day my grandchildren will remember me as fondly as I remember my grandparents, and my sons will remember theirs.”