The Gift of Being a Grandparent

“Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children”—Proverbs 17:6 (NLT).

When my parents became grandparents, my mother posted the following sticker on the rear bumper of her 1991 Honda Accord: “If we had known how much fun grandkids wuz, we’d had them first.”

Before I became a grandparent in 2004, I didn’t understand. In fact, I secretly resented that bumper sticker. Now, I’d like to find one of my own. Someone once said, “Grandkids are a gift from God for not killing your teenagers.” I have to agree.

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a proclamation designating the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. In the proclamation, Carter wrote that because grandparents “are usually free to love and guide and befriend the young without having to take daily responsibility for them, they can often reach out past pride and fear of failure and close the space between generations.”

My oldest grandchild is now almost 19. I have to wonder where the time has gone. It seems just like yesterday I was changing her diapers and singing lullabies so she would go to sleep.

Cheyenne has surpassed my 5’ 3’’ height. At one time during her growing up years, she could wear my shoes. Now, her feet have outgrown my size 6.

When Cheyenne and her brother, Brennan, were in elementary school, I made it a priority during the school year to have lunch with them at least twice a month. I discovered during those times that school lunches are tastier when you become a grandparent. I attribute that to the company of my grandchildren as well as their classmates, some of whom ‘adopted’ me.

I recall one visit to their school when my granddaughter and two of her young friends taught me how to blow a bubble with my chewing gum—something I’d never been able to accomplish. They taught me you’re never too old to learn something new.

Although I am almost 69, I’m still learning. One thing I’ve learned is not to sweat the small stuff—because it’s all small stuff. More importantly, I want to continue to instill in my grandchildren the love that God has for them. I want them to know that He is always there and He has a perfect plan for their lives.

I recently came across the following poem, written by an eight-year-old girl, expressing the influence of Godly grandparents on their grandchildren:

My grandma likes to play with God.
They have a kind of game.
She plants the garden full of seeds.
He sends the sun and rain.

She likes to sit and talk with God.
And knows He is right there.
She prays about the whole wide world
then leaves us in His care.

If you’re a grandparent, I pray your grandchildren will renew you and sustain you in your old age. Happy Grandparents Day! Celebrate the gift of being a grandparent.