I stumbled upon a show lauding grandparents for their outstanding role in their grandkids’ upbringing and I couldn’t agree more. They don’t get anywhere near the praise they deserve for putting their retirement on hold to take care of their grandchildren without so much as a complaint, which is quite surprising considering that many of them would long have left the workforce and have every reason to enjoy the sunset of their lives. But yet when needed to watch their grandkids or take on full guardianship in the event that the parents can’t fulfil their duty whether temporarily when they are too busy at work, sick or in the unfortunate event of untimely death, grandparents step up and many times even forfeit their pensions. Sadly, I didn’t get to meet any of my granddads but both my grandmas were very present in my life and for that I’m thankful. There are things grandparents will let you get away with that your parents wouldn’t. I know one who would let the kids under her care skip school on rainy days. Not saying it’s exemplary but having seen many preschoolers and kindergarteners out in the cold, I’m a little sympathetic! My own grandmas pampered me too. And that’s the thing with grannies. They spoil us! I get why some say it’s their way of making up for any shortcomings, perceived or otherwise with their own children, our parents. Grandkids present a second chance at better parenting. My Mom often recounted how strict her mother had been especially if they didn’t do their chores or schoolwork on time but I always found it hard to reconcile that with the soft-spoken grandma who wouldn’t let me do anything whenever I visited her. She just wanted me to eat and eat some more of her delicious meals. My other fond memory of my grandmas were the stories, about the Bible, historical events and even some about my parents! Good times! And if I can say so myself, my grandmas were quite crafty, weaving beautiful mats, baskets and they were good at knitting too! Sadly, I didn’t inherit their skills even though they tried their best to teach me. I can’t forget their ingenuity. I swear those women had remedies for everything. Whether you had scrapped a knee, had a cough, hiccups or stomach ache, they came up with a concoction to cure it. I remember when my parents finally let me have my ears pierced, it took a while for them to heal till one of my grandmas stepped in and sure enough a few days later, they were completely healed! I honestly have nothing bad to say about my grandparents. Show your grandparents some love if you’re lucky enough to still have them around.
