Member-only story
My Two Little Dragonflies
Aged 70, I was up for “oldest mum with six children who wasn’t a grandmother” if there’s such a category in the Guinness Book of Records
Isn’t this the most beautiful dragonfly? You can see how they can be mistaken for fairies.
: June 8 is Dragonfly Day. For many, dragonflies symbolize rebirth, transformation, and new beginnings. Can you share a story about a new beginning in your life — or one you’ve imagined.
I didn’t want to put pressure on my youngest daughter to have a baby so I thought I’d qualify as the oldest mum with six children and no grandchildren. Most women I know with three kids have nine or ten grandchildren and if they’re my age their grandchildren are now teenagers or adults. I was way behind the eight ball.
But surprise, surprise! My daughter was pregnant before my 71st birthday. I could say I was ecstatic but I’d be lying. I didn’t let myself get excited. I was silently terrified something would go awry at the last minute. It wasn’t until Caelin was put in my arms that I felt something envelope me and encapsulate me forever.
That was my rebirth, my transformation and the beginning of my new life as a grandmother. Caelin was my priority so my social life withered and died, and I…