November 5

I have always taken for granted that grandparents are all mostly the same.  Some are a little older, some are a little more spry, some like to buy spoil, some like to pass down their knowledge and skills.  All in all, though, I’ve always assumed that grandparents are crazy about their grandkids and want to be a big part of their lives.  This theory was confirmed when I gave birth to my daughter.  All six of her grandparents came to the hospital—and not just after she was born.   I was in labor for about 26 hours and they were there for most of it, even spending the night in the waiting room.  Once my daughter made her grand entrance (and as soon as I pulled myself together and gave the green light), they swarmed the delivery room.  And it’s pretty much been that way ever since.  The first week or two after we came home from the hospital, I don’t think there was a single day that we didn’t have some combination of the grandparents in our home.  And in the year that has followed, they have continued to be a steady and important part of my daughter’s life.  I suppose some people would be annoyed to constantly have their parents and/or in-laws around, but I am so thankful that they love my little girl so much and want to be involved in her life.  See, it turns out that not all grandparents go out of their way to spend time with their offspring’s offspring.  I have been surprised—and kind of saddened—by how many people have told me that their parents or in-laws rarely see the grandchildren and don’t make it a priority to spend time with them.  Now, I’m not referring to people who are separated by hundreds or even thousands of miles and literally can’t be a school recitals or summer picnics.  These are grandparents who could be involved more than they are but choose not to be.  I’m sure they love their grandchildren but for some reason they’re either just too busy or too focused on other aspects of their lives.  And I’m not saying there’s necessarily anything wrong with not seeing grandchildren often.  Everyone views family and relationships differently and quantity of time may not be as important to some people as quality of time.  I’m not judging people who don’t go out of their way to see their grandkids; heck, maybe my daughter’s grandparents go overboard.  All I know is that I am thankful that my little girl has grandparents who are totally crazy about her and want to see her as much as possible.  As she gets older, I want to make sure she understands how blessed she is and how appreciative she should be of these people who would do anything for her.  Since her grandparents have always been there, I don’t want her to take for granted that they have to be there.  They choose to be a part of her life and to make her a huge part of theirs.  I’m also thankful that they are also involved in my life and John’s life, too.  Everyone jokes about how the parents become “invisible” once the baby arrives, and I admit that the focus does shift.  But John and I know that our parents are there for us, too.  Having a child has only strengthened our bonds with them. 

So to Nana, Pawpaw, Grammy and Pappy-- thank you for loving my little Peanut and thank you for loving us.