Life is good. Life is full - full of blessings, gifts and treasures of the heart.
It has been a truly full week at our household. On Mother's Day we received the news that we are going to be grandparents! Now, I have been looking forward to being a grandparent for quite a while-even though my children are only in their early twenties and it seems like only yesterday I was a new parent myself. It is exciting for me to be able to see those little ones I brought home from the hospital (and no clue what to do next) spread their wings, create their own nest and move on to the next step of their journey and become parents in their own right.
I had always imagined that it would be my daughter to have a baby first, but the news came unexpectedly from my oldest son. I received the call on Mothers Day evening. We discussed supper, how our day was and then in a very calm manner (which is absolutely the norm for Dan) he nonchalantly said, "Well, just wanted to let you know you're gonna be a Grandma." Well, I nearly flew off my chair with excitement and I could not wait to call my own mother and tell her.
Just like parenting styles, there are lots of grandparenting styles as well. My own grandparents were down to earth and simple. They did not lavish gifts of every kind on us or spend countless dollars on entertaining us, but instead we were surrounded by a love so plain and simple that the memories we made with them will go on and on. It amazes me to this day how we ever survived a week at our grandparents house with only a corn crib, a goat and a big brown bag for entertainment.
And then there are those who spend endlessly on gifts and goodies as if trying to buy the grandchildrens love and affection. Big screen TVs, video games, iPods and laptop computers for a six-year old? Whatever happened to encouraging imagination?
My children are blessed with awesome grandparents too. While they enjoy giving gifts and goodies for special occasions, their greatest gifts are the unconditional love and freedom they enjoy while making their memories. To this day, my kids live for the brief times they go to Grandma's house and just be relaxed and have fun. Where they can go out on the lake, dig up a stump, or jump from a rope into the pond. A place where driving the lawnmower for hours is fun and Grandpa spent countless hours being the 'gas station'. A place where they can just 'be' and be loved.
It's going to seem like forever until January gets here and that new life arrives. I hope and pray that I can be a great balance of styles of grandparenting. I know that while I may not have the funding required for lavish gifts, God has blessed each of us with the one thing that money cannot buy - love. God's love is free and is meant to be shared with those around us.
So bring on the granchildren because I've got a bank full of love just waiting to be shared!
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