An Ode To The Grands …
By Stephen L Doherty
August 28th, 2022
“Grandparents hold our tiny hands for just a while …
but they hold our hearts forever.” –Unknown
A wise man once said that, “the reason children and grandparents get along so well – is that they have a common enemy!” Regardless, throughout the annals of time, the elders in any community were always glorified, honored, and highly loved and respected.
They also had an important role to play in strengthening family ties and resolving family issues. Children would look at them as their household friends. From reading out stories to saving the child from his or her parents, grandparents were an integral part of any family.
Apart from being caring and protective, grandparents would also be very inspiring to the children. With their wealth of knowledge, wisdom, experience, and keepers of the family history – the Grands always provided steady and dependable counsel coupled with unbridled affection that is as strong as parental love but tempered by the absence of the day-to-day rigors of parenthood.
For any child, the presence of the the Grands was steeped in a loving friendship based on the mutual zest for the special brand of love and adventure that only the Grands could provide.
My children have been fortunate to have active and healthy grandparents from their births well into their adult lives. As a parent, I have relished witnessing the dimension of life that only the Grands can deliver. Whether by design or circumstance, the Grands provide much of the Norman Rockwell to the family album of memories.
Life events that were already special and memorable of their own weight and magnitude – became even more so when the Grands were a part of the festivities. Our family moments are punctuated by the string of special and spectacular events that were always accented and enhanced by their presence and a bit dampened and diminished in their absence. As with so many other other things, frequency and availability greatly enhance the role and impact of the Grands.
Maybe, the ultimate power of the Grands – lies in the simple fact that as we get older and become Grands – there is a re-emergence of the child-like fascination with life so common to children, seen anew through the eyes of their grandchildren. Is there anything more pure or perfect than the world viewed through the eyes of a child? Is there anything more blessed than the opportunity to experience it again at the other end of our lives?
The miraculous perfection of that circle can leave one breathless – and always smiling. Imagine your most mischevious and fun-filled childhood companion, gifted with the experiences and wisdom of the ages but now un-tethered in their desire and willingness to dive in after you! That partnership may be life’s most worthy bearer of the old saw, “a match made in Heaven!”
Life is fleeting and the role of the Grands will always be influenced by the ever-fickle sands of the hourglass. Not all kids are blessed with this priceless legacy – mores the pity.
Because a life touched by the Grands – is a life sprinkled with magical dust that will remain for a lifetime. A dust that softens. A dust of laughter and shared moments. A dust that permeates hearts and minds in a way that is indescribable because it is so unique and special to each recipient. Without a doubt, the indelible tatto the Grands leave in their wake, is one we will all sport proudly throughout our lives … and beyond.
“While we try to teach our grandchildren about life,
our grandchildren teach us what life is all about.” —Unknown
