I babysat the grandkids the other day. There is not anything more heart melting than the joyful hugs of those two munchkins. My two favorite greetings: E giving me a hug when I arrive then shouting, "mom, your dad's here!" and J running to me with a hug when I come in then shouting "mom, papa rick is here!" Grandparenting is so different than parenting, yet can be as exhausting though we spend much less time with them. Try keeping up with a 4 and 6 year old at the zoo! My 2 mile runs four times a week isn't enough!
Sometimes I think my parenting was based on dumb luck. Luck that I had two great kids, their mom a good role model and me making sure they had what they needed. There's no manual, though I often told them there was one. Most of the time I could only hope I was doing an adequate job. My model was my parents. I did my best to use their examples.
Now one has kids of her own. What a joy they are and how proud I am watching her be a mom. It is a joy to watch Kasey being a mom. Being the parent I wish I was. Her patience, though I'm sure it gets tested, the way she talks and explains things to them, putting into words the feelings they aren't yet able to express. Seeing their excitement when she comes home from work or when they wake up and want to snuggle with her, that says so much.
Providing a loving, secure environment for kids is essential for their positive development. My family has been blessed to have had that over several generations. I wish all families had that same blessing.
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