For the LOVE ~ DAY 12

Today I would like to talk about the love of a grandmother.
I had no idea I could love anyone the way I love my sweet grandsons!!
Being only a couple of months apart in age, these cousins are best buddies!!
It's incredible to watch them together!

My mom was the best grandma in the entire world! I have always strived to follow her example, not always succeeding.

I thought she was doing me a favor all the times I called her on the phone and asked, "Will you watch Aubrey?” which, she always did. I thought she was sacrificing her day to watch my daughter. Now I know better, now I know that her grandchildren filled her heart. They made her happy.

She never complained when it was obvious she was in pain much of the time. She needed a hip replacement for many years and a lot of the time it was pretty hard for her to get around. She bore her pain, she didn’t let any of us see her tears, and she carried on.

She loved her grandchildren. I understood this. But I didn't know how much she loved them. How could I? I was a mother then, not a grandmother. I believed that her love was less than mine; after all, I was 'THE MOM'.

If she were here now I think I would ask her why she didn't tell me that being a grandmother isn't love one step removed but a grand love, a huge, twinkle in your eyes, bounce in your steps love that you don't expect? Why didn't she tell me that she never tired of her grandchildren? That she was never just visiting me, she was stopping by to see Aubrey, to get a hug and nuzzle her neck. That being with her grandchildren was her greatest joy?

I can imagine her telling me, "I did tell you all these things, just not in words. I showed you. Couldn't you see?"

I see now!
 I look back and see how she waited at her door, doting over each grandchild, at every age. I see how much she loved having them sit next to her at the piano as she played and sang to them. I see how she always had time to sit down and listen, and time to watch her entire collection of Disney movies with them. She gave them what they asked for, and she gave them what they didn't ask for — her heart.

 

I know this now because my grandsons have my heart, I wait at the door and greet them with hugs and kisses. We sing, we play cars, read stories, and bake cookies, watch movies and anything else we can come up with. And when asked if I can watch them I think that there is nothing in the world that I would rather do. "Gramma" is my favorite name and the day I received that title was like being knocked sideways by love.

I so wish all my girls would have known their wonderful grandmother; sadly she passed away when my oldest was just 2 years old.
I think that one of the trade-offs for having great parents is having to accept the fact that they’ll always be missed. When I think of them it’s often with a sense of wanting to see them again and gratitude for all they taught me.

 I find my grandsons the best examples of unconditional love.

 I’m not responsible for their behavior, and I don’t derive my self-worth from them. I can enjoy them and share varied activities and events with them, but I don’t have to worry about all the details that parents must consider. When we’re together, it’s like heaven on earth. It’s a great life.