Saturday, August 25, 2007

G...for Grandparents

My mother is the last of the grandparents alive. I lost my dad, the kid's grandpa, 20 years ago. Mike's mother passed away about 2 years ago and his dad a few years before that. I'm sorry that my father died before the kids were really old enough to know him. Nicky was born after he died, so he never knew him at all. But they did get many great years with their paternal grandparents, and my mom is doing so well I wouldn't be surprised she lives to be 100.

My maternal grandfather died when I was a baby. He was apparently a really nice man. My mother's mother passed away about 10 years ago. She was almost 97. My father's parents have been gone for many years. It's dad's mother who had all the lace I brought home. (I am home, btw--12 hours in the car and 625 miles later.) I have great memories of their house. It is an old Federal building that had two extensions put on it. There was this big, twisting staircase to the upstairs. There was a massive country kitchen, and behind it some kind of storage area with a staircase that was full of mysteries. Grandpa always had a bowl of candy out--back in the day when candy was a huge treat. And he never said, 'no you can't have that.'

I'm glad I have some great memories of my grandparents. I'm glad my kids will have some, too. Grandparents are so very important to kids, aren't they?

2 comments:

Susan @ Blackberry Creek said...

All my grandparents and my kids' grandparents have gone on. We miss them.

Anonymous said...

I know how important grandparents are... my Mom was a big part of my kids lives while they were growing up. And Dan and I take our role in Ada's life very seriuosly!Family is important no matter how you look at it.