Grandparents Speak

President Jimmy Carter designated the first Sunday of September after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day in 1978. Honoring the role of these senior family members on this day, some schools invite grandparents to a special event or involve students in story-telling activities related to their grandparents.

The wealth of comments about the extreme value of grandparents is amazing. But, when doing the research for this article, the most remarkable source came from the grandparents themselves!

Of course, there is only space to share and quickly comment with you about a few of their potent responses. Some may make you laugh; some may make you shed a tear.

Warning! Get ready! You never know what a GRANDparent is going to say!

I asked the question, “What would you, as a grandparent, like to say about being a grandparent?”

 

Smarts

“You know, my grandkids are so smart,” said one grandma. “When my 8-year-old granddaughter came to visit with me for a week, I decided to teach her how to sew. After I took several minutes to show her how to prepare the cloth, install the needle, choose the proper thread, carefully thread the needle, hold the cloth and run the machine, she was amazed! Standing back with a puzzled look on her face she said, ‘Gramma! How can you do all that and can’t play my video games?’”

Ha! It seems that grandma got caught! She didn’t tell me if her granddaughter convinced her to learn the video game or not. What do you think?

 

Age

“Grandfathers and Grandmothers are just antique little boys and girls. That what makes us so valuable,” said a second grandma.

Perhaps you agree that the best grandparents are the ones who never let go of their inner child. The preciousness of a little boy and a little girl resides within us all, and our grandkids seem to draw that out of us. The extreme importance of never letting our inner child go, was expressed by Jesus when He said, “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child, will not enter it at all” (Mark 10:15, NASB).

My mother-in-law used to say that spending time with teenagers helped her keep a younger outlook on life. Some grandparents believe that spending time with our precious grandchildren can help us realize a stronger relationship with our wonderful Heavenly Father. Hmmm. That sounds reasonable.

 

Hugs

“Happiness is a grandpa hug!” added one grandpa.

Well, many grandpas don’t like to talk too much, but what they say often gets to the point real quick, potently. The combination of the emotional and self-image value of a grandparent can hardly be overstated and a ‘Grandpa Hug’ significantly contributes in a positive way! Don’t you agree?

 

Distance

“I sure would like to know what it’s like, better,” a second grandpa confided. “My grandkids live a long ways away. I can’t afford to visit them, and we don’t talk too much either.”

That comment came with a sad look and a deep sigh.

The journey of life comes with many ups and downs, causing different relationship mishaps and even disasters. Divorce robs some men of ever finding a way back to reconciliation with certain parts of the family. Sometimes the man has made some ridiculous mistakes making it hard in a different way.

Perhaps you know a granddaddy like this who could use a nonjudgmental hug, overlooking an ignoble past. I have heard several pastors say, “What we do for others, God will do for us!”

We consider the terrible trials of Job in the Bible, losing his business, all his kids, the respect of his wife, and even the respect of his friends and the whole community. It always amazes me to realize ‘when’ he received God’s intervention and double blessing! “And The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed, The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10, NKJV).

Our sincere forgiveness, love and prayers given to others, especially when they don’t deserve it, will certainly return to us with surprise blessings.

 

It sure would be fun to share more comments with you, but our space is full.

But, if you would like more comments, ask your grandparents, a friend’s grandparent, or visit someone connected to your church. They will be glad to share with you.

Just heed my warning and get ready! You never know what a GRANDparent is going to say!

 

Steve Davis, Ed.S. is an education specialist adjunct professor at Trinity International University writing about personal development and education. He can be reached at [email protected].

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