The joys of grandparenting are … well , Grand !
There ’ s a special bond between grandparents and grandchildren . Some even say grandparents love their grandchildren more than their own children .
I ’ m pretty sure that ’ s not true , but I understand why some might consider it a possibility .
I recently had a lengthy conversation with an acquaintance I had not seen in quite a few years . The first 30 minutes we caught up on what had been going in each of our lives , then we started talking about family . For me , that was a very brief conversation ; I ’ ve never married nor have children . However , for him , the discussion was delightfully lengthy and centered mostly on his 10 grandchildren . Oh , he spoke briefly about his sons and his daughter , but the escapades he ’ d shared with his grandchildren and the pride he expressed about their accomplishments … Well , let ’ s just say if we both didn ’ t have other obligations , we ’ d probably still be sitting at that table conversing .
Clearly , grandparents and grandchildren share a special and unique bond . Friends have even commented ( with a tinge of envy I might add ) their parents let their grandchildren get away with EVERYTHING — things they would have been punished or whipped for .
While I ’ m no expert , I believe grandparents are more relaxed and less strict with their grandchildren than with their children simply because they are their grandchildren . As parents , they are responsible and depended on for their children ’ s well-being . However , as grandparents they can be grand — loving and spoiling their grandchildren a little bit more than they did their kids .
I only knew one of my grandparents — my grandfather Richard D . Simon , Papa as we called him — and only for 10 years of my life . But , boy did he make the best of that limited time .
My first and one of my fondest centers around Tootsie Rolls . I was pretty young , but I remember Papa had a box of medium-sized ones and had given me a couple . I later asked for another one , but my mother said no .
Later that night while everyone was asleep , I crawled in the bed with Papa and asked if I could have a Tootsie Roll . What do you think he said ?
Once I asked my mother for money to buy snacks at the neighborhood store . She said she didn ’ t have any , so I walked down to Papa ’ s place and asked him for money . Unfortunately , he didn ’ t have any either , but he made sure I got the money .
When I got home , I got “ a talking to ” from my mother who said , “ When I tell you I don ’ t have any money , I don ’ t have any money .” Then , she handed me the money . Apparently , Papa had called and fussed because she didn ’ t “ give that child some money to go to the store .”
I have many other great memories with Papa , some in which he shared inspirational thoughts , as well as words of wisdom and empowerment . I ’ ve shared some of those with others , including my godsons and younger cousins .
In this issue of Timeless Meridian , we feature two grandparents and a great-grandparent who each share special and unique bonds with their grandchildren and great-grandchild . As they speak about the special and unique bond grandparents and grandchildren share , they also note the impact it has made on them personally .
A related feature regarding a study from researchers at Boston College details the health benefits of grandparent-grandchild relations — among them , reduced depressive symptoms in both groups . The study also noted grandchildren can help grandparents feel younger , and grandchildren can learn new experiences from their grandparents .
And make sure to take a glance at what ’ s cooking In the Kitchen with … Frances Sanders . Known for her Southern cooking ( fried chicken , pork chops , collard greens , peas , butter beans and mouth-watering desserts such as pound cake and potato pie ), Sanders , with some nudging , shared some of her favorites with our readers .
So bundle up and enjoy a few great reads .
Ida Brown Timeless Meridian Magazine Coordinator
On the Cover
TIMELESS MERIDIAN
PAGE 6 : Special bond between grandparents and grandkids
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Timeless is published six times a year and is a publication of The Meridian Star . Annual subscriptions are $ 24 . To subscribe , email publisher @ themeridianstar . com www . meridianstar . com
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