Friday, August 1, 2014

Sharing love with young ones

Today is a special day for me. It's another one of my Grandma Days.

When my oldest grandchild was potty trained, I began the custom of Grandma Days. And each of my grandchildren and I have enjoyed them ever since. Each grandchild gets a special day with grandma to do whatever she or he wants, and the day includes an overnight at grandma's house. We've gone to museums, zoos, spas, movies, parks and lots of other attractions. Now that several of my grandchildren are older (two are college-age already), we've changed the format. Because their lives are extremely booked and busy, sometimes we even settle for dinner out together. And no more overnights. But what fun it was all those years.

Anyway, today I'm taking my three local granddaughters (sisters and all teenagers) for a spa day. We've done this the last three or four years, and I love it as much as they do. They get massages and pedicures, and then we go out for dinner. This is such a great time to hear more about what's going on in their lives and to just enjoy each other's company.

So I liked what I read the other day about a father who built his 5-year-old son a tree house in his son's bedroom. When he got enthusiastic comments about what he'd done and how cool that was, the father just said, "If you have children, love them!" Yes, that's the idea. Love them. Spend time with them. Enjoy them. Embrace whatever stage or age they're at. Try to not wish their lives away ("I can't wait till they grow up and we have more free time"). Share your love and life with them—whether they're your children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews, or whether they're not even related but are special children in your life. It'll keep you young!




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