A Grandmother’s Joy
Making future memories
I have read several articles on grandmothers here and it’s a subject I am quite experienced with. I thought I would add my thoughts as well.
Unfortunately, I had no grandparents, they had all passed before I was born, so when my time came, I wanted to be a hands-on grandmother.
I have 9 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. They call me Nanna or
G Nan.
I am still working part-time at the age of 70. I try to get as much time with them as possible and some weeks that can be a hell of a lot.
I have to admit there are days I want to close the curtains and pretend I am not home. They are certainly full-on, and I am not the kind of Nanna to put on the TV to entertain them. I do blame myself for this because I am the kind of person who can ever say NO!! When we are together, I simply must spoil them.
I was 44 when my first grandchild was born. I had the privilege of being in attendance at his birth. Having given birth to 5 children myself it was quite a treat to be standing at the other end watching this little miracle be born and it wasn’t me huffing and puffing.
The nurse said to my son-in-law, “Now, on the next contraction hold her hand and wipe her forehead with a wet cloth.”
Contractions begin and my son-in-law squeezes the fully-loaded wet cloth on her face amid her spluttering and pushing, almost drowning her.
It was quite an exciting moment, and the story has been told to my grandson many times over the years. He now has two daughters of his own.
I love being a Nanna, there is so much joy in watching these little persons grow in today’s busy world of technology.
Although I am 70 and I can’t kick a ball anymore due to mobility problems, we love playing board games, especially Yahtzee and Monopoly. One day my seven-year-old grandson and I played it for five hours. He was determined he was going to beat me, and he did!
Naturally, these games must be accompanied by a bowl of chips and lollies (candy) to pick at during the game. Don’t worry, I do give them healthy food as well, fruit, milk, and homemade cookies we have often made together.
I am a sentimental Nanna and put my heart into making sure they leave my house full of happy memories. They are always eager to come back again. Sometimes they cry because they don’t want to go home.
I am exhausted when they leave, and they must be too because they always fall asleep in the car on the way home.
I love making memories with them and teaching them that life is good. When my time on earth has come, I know they will fondly remember me to their own families in the future.
