The crazy weather has magnolias and rhododendrons blooming long before their time, and me making offers to take care of my grandchildren for the next five weeks. Yes, you read that right.... in the middle of March madness, I heard myself say the fateful words: "Darling, why not let me watch the babies for you?"
I don't consider myself a remarkable grandmother. I like babies. I like to cuddle them and hug them and take care of them but once they turn into children, my interest tends to wane. I don't like to play games, I'm bored by most children's book and TV shows. Jake, in fact, once admonished me, "Nana, you're not reading the book right," as I was dutifully reciting the short text at the bottom of each page.
"How am I supposed to read it?" I asked, more curious than anything else.
"Talk about the pictures," said Jake.
"Oh," I replied, feeling as if a Truth that had eluded me all my life had somehow finally been revealed in the words of the two year old on my lap.
But I love my daughter and my concern for her is boundless and when I heard the stress in her voice, I knew I had to step in. "Are you sure, Mom?" she asked.
"It's not forever and it's not for always," I said. "But for five weeks, I can do anything."
So this month, I'm putting aside writing as my main preoccupation, along with just about everything else, and diving head first into Grandmotherdom.
I don't consider myself a remarkable grandmother. I like babies. I like to cuddle them and hug them and take care of them but once they turn into children, my interest tends to wane. I don't like to play games, I'm bored by most children's book and TV shows. Jake, in fact, once admonished me, "Nana, you're not reading the book right," as I was dutifully reciting the short text at the bottom of each page.
"How am I supposed to read it?" I asked, more curious than anything else.
"Talk about the pictures," said Jake.
"Oh," I replied, feeling as if a Truth that had eluded me all my life had somehow finally been revealed in the words of the two year old on my lap.
But I love my daughter and my concern for her is boundless and when I heard the stress in her voice, I knew I had to step in. "Are you sure, Mom?" she asked.
"It's not forever and it's not for always," I said. "But for five weeks, I can do anything."
So this month, I'm putting aside writing as my main preoccupation, along with just about everything else, and diving head first into Grandmotherdom.
4 comments:
Thank You Annie, I hope that you have time to blog about your month of grandmothering. I believe what your undertaking can shift the grandparenting paradigm and shine a light on "it takes a village to raise a child." Please enlightened us to this responsibility to our children, our families, our culture, as well as our local and global communities.
I'll be East early May for a few weeks and would enjoy face time and a conversation about this with you!
Your one of the firsts to know that I've started blogging a few days ago...if you a minute, check it out! Left Coast Blessing, Rev. Bev blessingofthebabies.blogspot.com
I would love to talk to you about this, Bev! Thanks for your kind words of support..did you know that in subsaharan africa, studies have shown that the presence of the maternal grandmother makes it more likely children will survive?
Oh, Annie … I feel I might coin you as a "remarkable grandmother." After all, you *are* a remarkable person.
thanks, rose....you're a peach :)
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