We spent a couple weekends this month celebrating our oldest two grandchildren’s graduations from high school. These were the first for us as grandparents, and we are so proud of them. They were born just six weeks apart in the year 2000, at the turn of the century. Taylor, our first grandson, in July, and Shekinah, our first granddaughter, in September. It is easy to remember how old they are with that birth year! Their parents are our two middle children, twins, Melissa and Mark. It has been fun to watch them grown up, find their own interests, and become the enjoyable young people that they are.
Grandparenting is quite different usually than parenting. Most of our years our grandchildren have not lived close by, so we have had to interact with them through letters and phone calls, also enjoying the pictures sent to us in between. The actual visits never happened enough, especially with our occupation of dairy farming which made it hard to get away often. Any time we could get together to have fun with the grandkids was very special to us, whether they came “home” or we were able to go.
Going through some of the pictures when both of these graduates were young, it was fun to see Taylor’s hand in grandpa’s as they headed to the barn. His little brown rubber boots now are handed down to our youngest granddaughter when she comes to stay with us. Both Shekinah and Taylor liked to ride in grandpa’s tractor when they came, and both enjoyed the freedom of the farm and the great outdoors. They both enjoyed seeing the new baby calves or how full the bulk tank would get with that swirling white milk. Being in the milking parlor with grandpa, down in the “pit”, and watching the milk going up through the lines was exciting for them. Or sticking their fingers into the inflations to feel the tug of the sucking motion. It made them giggle!
Memories with the grandkids growing up are fun and sometimes funny to recall. One time when I was baby sitting in Storm Lake, Iowa, with Taylor and his sisters, we were going to get pizza. Their driveway was shared with the neighboring house, so it was tricky ( probably only for me) to back out of. I got a little too close to the house next door and hit it as we were backing out. I stopped quickly, and Taylor said, “ Grandma, now you are in trouble. What will grandpa say?” I asked him who lived there, and he said no one! I was so relieved. I told him grandpa would just say, “ Linda, Linda”. And I was right. When Taylor told him about it all on the phone later that day, those were his exact words!
Last October Shekinah and I took a short trip together to Yuma, AZ, and on to San Diego, CA. It was fun enjoying the sights and sounds of the city with her, and experiencing the Pacific Ocean with the waves, rocks and shells. Along with our daughter, Ranell, the three of us did a Segway Tour of downtown San Diego, including paths by the Zoo and also the ocean beach. At one point, as I was following Shekinah across a street and up onto the next sidewalk, I failed to pay attention to the side of my Segway. It hooked onto the curb and I flipped upside down, smashing my helmet onto the concrete. I don’t think I have ever heard such a loud noise in my ears! Our tour guide sat with us for a few minutes before we continued, and both Shekinah and I ended up laughing about the whole crazy affair. The helmet cracked down the middle, but my head was fine. I was glad I had not ruined our trip!
As our grandchildren have grown, it is a wonderful thing to be able to enjoy time with them. We consider it a blessing to share their stories, laughter, and sometimes also tears. Most importantly we pray they will always know how much we love them. And that God loves them even more. We are thankful that they all have parents who love them and care for them. It certainly makes our lives easier. We have friends who are raising their grandchildren because of one circumstance or another. I greatly admire them, and pray that one day they will have the reward of a job well done. I fear that I would not have the energy or the stamina to do that, but God has not asked me to, and that is a good thing.
The Bible says that and old man’s (and woman’s) grandchildren are his crowning glory. (Proverbs 17:6) What a privilege to wear that glorious crown!
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