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Grandparents to All

There is a wonderful gift given to grandparents. We love all grandchildren, whether they belong to us or not. Let me share an experience.

Last night, we attended the Kindergarten and Preschool Holiday Program for the school where our daughter teaches. I didn’t know any of the children, but loved watching them perform for their parents and grandparents. They were precious. (At one point, my husband leaned over to me and asked if I could tell which children were kinesthetic learners. It was obvious by the movement.) They were happy. They were dressed in their best holiday clothes. There was a 4 year old who played the violin. I loved it when he called out to his mom, “How does it start?” Then, his mom called out: “bom, bom, bom, bom.” He started immediately. He knew the code she had given him. She was important to him, not only as nurturer, clothier, feeder, but also as teacher. He recognized that she could help him get where he needed to go.

One child cried. His mom encouraged, even putting him on the stage, but in the end, she sat in his chair and held him. He wasn’t ready to be on that scary stage yet.

And, there was the mother who ran to the stage as she recognized the sign that her daughter needed a quick trip to the ladies’ room.

Some children sang, some danced, some did the hand motions, some did not do any of these things. But, they were there. They were loved by their families and their teachers, which included students learning to be teachers. The children were tall and short, big and small, of many cultures and all were precious souls sent to earth for us to love.

We were proud of the children. We were proud of our daughter, who was very much in the background, letting the children shine. At the end of the program, she was presented with red roses. It was a great experience for all of us!

There is a wonderful gift given to grandparents. We are able to love the whole world. Isn’t that a
great thing? Love is an empowering gift from God. How will you use this gift of love today?