A Grandparent's Gifts

My paternal grandparents - 84 and 86 - are as sharp and warm and wonderful as ever. I feel so blessed to have their continued presence in my life. They lost my father – their oldest son – ten years ago. Having them in my life fills me up and buoys me, especially when I long for my dad. They are a connection I cherish, not only because they are of him, but also because they are two of the most thoughtful, generous people I know. Not with money, which they’ve never really had, but with their love, their open hearts, their humble home.

I constantly tell my grandmother – amidst the chaos of my life with two children – that I do not know how she ever raised seven kids!!! That amazes me. And she did it without complaint. She was positive, affectionate, ever optimistic that it would all work out - even when she wasn’t sure how everything would come together. And it always did – or it didn’t – and then they’d go from there. Always knowing they’d be taken care of, there is not one of us (child, grandchild, great-grandchild) who would not do anything we could for Grandma and Grandpa. They have given us so much – our parents, traditions, values, their time and love. Anything – they’d give me anything, and I, them.

Their most recent, incredible gift to me was my birthday present. I had sent my grandmother a The Grandparents’ Book of Shared Memories. She has the keenest memory and can recall stories from her childhood, my father’s childhood, my childhood with the kind of detail that allows you to picture her memories as if they were your own. She took the time, along with my grandfather (I can just see her giving him his “assignment” to work on “Meaghan’s book”), to complete this detailed book that includes a family tree for both sides, favorite stories, favorite foods, favorite memories, information about schools – theirs and their children’s . . . They included old pictures and stories, an essay my dad wrote his junior year in college, an old driver’s license. The things memories are made of and a way of sharing our heritage that I could not do without their memories and efforts.

Because my grandparents have left such an indelible mark on me, I wrote a poem inspired by my relationship with them. The poem is called “A Grandparent’s Gifts”.

A Grandparent’s Gifts

Affection
Friendship
Generosity
Love

Honesty
Loyalty
Compassion
Understanding

Time
Respect
Integrity
Wisdom

Perspective
History
Roots
Wings

They have given me all of this - and more. And, I am grateful to them everyday.