Foreword:
When I was requested to pen a few lines on the topic “Grand Parents”, with a request that it should not exceed one or one-and-half page, that too by someone who is presently a grandparent himself, I was apprehensive because this was such an extensive theme, and I was sure that it was going to be difficult to adhere to that threshold. However as I narrate it in a nutshell and as a grandparent myself, it is a fact that, because I found this phase in my life the most gratifying, rewarding, and fulfilling and therefore in as much as I enjoyed writing it, I hope you all, will enjoy reading it.
The Meaning:
“Wikipedia” describes Grandparents as important members of a family and are often more free to enjoy and have fun with their grandchildren. A grandparent-grandchild relationship is usually much simpler than that of a parent and child. After your children grow up and leave home, life changes. The family ‘nest’ is no longer full, and your focus shifts away from that of full-time parent. It is a “proven fact” that what grandparents teach cannot be learned by reading any number of books or attending any class. Parents are the connecting point between grandchildren and grandparents and they must take it as a responsibility to ensure they keep this connection alive. You will always be a mother or a father. But being a grandparent is a lot more fun. And, in fact, it appears to be a universal joy — or just ask others about their grandchildren and see how they respond!
History repeats.
As a grandparent, you can stand back and watch the future unfold in front of you. As your grandchildren enter the world, it’s thrilling to watch them grow, seeing which relatives they might resemble and discovering what type of people they will become as individuals. Noticing the similarities between your own children and your grandchildren is particularly an enjoyable aspect. Watch for those little peculiarities within your grandchildren: a style of laughter, a proclivity for certain foods, or simply a familiar temperament. So many grandparents are amazed when they see just how much history seems to repeat itself!
You get to make the sky the limit.
So you’ve never quite caught up to the computer age, new gadgets or Cell phones? No problem. Your grandchildren will be thrilled to teach you. They get to show off and be the experts — you get to learn without pressure what is “Google” and “Whatsapp” and how to download games from Google “Play store” or how to save or retrieve a contact from your mobile. Silently within yourself you will be embarrassed to discover how much you were left behind being busy making life comfortable for your own children. Grandchildren show you the future at a time when a lot of your friends are thinking about the past. And they take you back to childhood—theirs, the parent’s, and your own: three-time admittance to a wonderland without paying for an entrance ticket.
The grandparent-grandchild relationship is like no other
The connection between a grandparent and a grandchild is unique and meaningful. It is a relationship that differs from that of parent and child and takes on its own special shine. Nothing can compare to this kind of relationship, and every Grand-parent will surely agree that arrival of their grand kids was a blessing in their lives.
The Supreme Court has just shut down.
Your Supreme Court verdicts with your own children has just become obsolete. There is no anger bag anymore with your grandchildren and you seem to forget how to raise your voice on them. Truly as much, when Ogden Nash a famous writer once said “When grandparents enter the door, discipline flies out the window.” As a grandparent, you are a friend with special power. You are a friend who can make little pain feel better. To them you are hand for objects that they cannot reach and a medium to things achievable where their parents have said a firm “NO”. Better yet, to them you are a key that can open every door to their whims and imaginations to this world.
The Abyss.
Blessed are those children whose grandparents are still alive. Unfortunately with children with no living grandparents, they are forced to get to know them through the other people around. They may know they have grandma’s eyes or that they can sing just as beautifully as grandpa did but they don’t understand it as much as the children whose grandparents are around. The pain is even more when there is grandparent’s day at school, or until they hear stories from class mates about spending time with grandma and grandpa. The need of the hour is to teach your children to cherish the presence of their grandparents while they still walk on this planet.
In conclusion:
Grandparents enjoy their grandchildren in the moment without censure or apprehension about minor misdemeanors. And children know this, revel in it, because it offers them a different kind of freedom to be themselves, to stretch a couple of boundaries while fully cosseted in loving admiration, and the luxury of asking for more.
A cautious note to today’s new generation. Don’t use your children as pawns to settle your own score with your own parents. Although the strategy might seem as a winning gamble, alienation will always damage your child. Initiate, cultivate and nurture the bond between your child and the grandparents. Establishing a bond with grandparents is great for kids in many ways. Grandparents can be positive role models and influences, and they can provide a sense of cultural heritage and great family historians. Grandparents provide their grandchildren with selfless unconditional love, have their best interests at heart, and can make them feel safe. No wonder than, God in his usual masterpiece concept, created grandchildren who will reach for your hand but touch your heart. !! A miracle in itself.