The Unexpected Blessings of Being a Grandparent

By Theresa Anthony, author of In Search of Gopher Hollow

When I became a grandmother in 2010, I must admit I wasn’t quite sure I was ready for the designation. My vision of that role was of a gray-haired and bespectacled old woman, which, I must admit, seemed a tad premature. However, that year when two of my three children blessed me with grandchildren, I thoroughly embraced my new role as grandma - hair dye and all - and never looked back.

I was one of the lucky grandmothers who lived close to her grandkids, allowing me to be an integral part of their lives. I couldn’t wait to babysit them and happily offered my services. I loved taking them out in their strollers and singing songs to them, embracing every single moment spent with my adorable grandbabies.

As cute as they were as babies, grandparenting became much more interesting and fun the older they got. And because these cousins were just six months apart in age, they got along great. The three of us spent tons of time together on various outings, adventures, and sleepovers: the mountains, zoos, the beach, Legoland, parks, church, plays, Wild Animal Park, fairs – the list of these treasured experiences is endless.

On a field trip to historic Old Town San Diego

When the grandkids were about six years old, I began to realize how important I was to them, too. During those early childhood years, my grandkids hung on my every word, whether I was imparting wisdom or just being their silly granny. I made the most of this window of opportunity.

While we were on our many excursions, I found myself imparting valuable life lessons. Whether it was a train ride or a road trip, I taught them about life, nature, history, and the wonders of God. Looking back, I realize what an incredible blessing that is – to be able to leave a positive imprint on a grandchild’s soul – while also acknowledging that I learned as much from them as they learned from me.

Over the years, my role as a grandparent deepened and flourished, and two more precious grandchildren entered the scene. I began to see how closely my relationship with them resembled the relationship I’d had with my own grandfather.

Bowling can be fun AND educational!

My grandpa was my hero, not just while I was growing up but all the way until his death when I was thirty-eight-years-old. Over the years, I absorbed countless life lessons from Grandpa’s example, his stories, his accomplishments, and his incredible life history. I watched him closely, listened to him, and learned from him. He taught me the importance of hard work and the value of a strong work ethic. I learned from him the importance of exercise and maintaining good health. By his own example, he showed me what giving back to the community looks like. He inspired in me a desire to travel and explore other cultures, and his passion for music and dancing taught me to embrace life and to live it to the fullest.

To this day, I treasure the relationship I had with my late grandpa. Ours was a unique connection because I was wired so much like him that his words and stories truly resonated with me. So important was his stable presence in my rather tumultuous childhood, that when I decided to pen my life story, In Search of Gopher Hollow, I dedicated the book to him.

And now it’s my turn to have that kind of impact on my own grandchildren (with number 5 on the way!), to play the same pivotal role in their lives as my grandfather played in mine. All grandparents have the ability to make a real difference in the lives and futures of their children’s children. Let’s embrace the opportunity to guide our grandchildren toward goodness and even greatness … they will thank us for it later (and maybe even devote a book to us someday).

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 Click here to learn more about In Search of Gopher Hollow