Because of this, it has never really bothered me when, like today, the text arrived saying, "Totally forgot that today was Grandparent's Day. . .So sorry! We are thankful for you today and every day!" The real blessing is knowing my grandchildren are only an hour away, and the drive can be made as often as I like. Arrival at their home is generally accompanied by four voices saying, "Grandma!" and eight arms providing hugs. Yes, I don't need a special day to remember being a grandparent is special!
Looking back on my own life, the world of grandparents consisted of only one grandmother. My maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother died long before I was born, and my paternal grandfather died when I was just a toddler, leaving me without memories of who he was. Where other children had "grandparents", I had "Grandma and Henry" (Henry was my uncle who never married and lived with Grandma). Still, I never really felt cheated, as Grandma Ellen embraced her role in such a way I never felt lacking in the grandparent department.
Some of my fondest childhood memories are of times spent at Grandma's house. The farm, which began as a small homestead shack on the prairies of North Dakota, was lovingly built up into a beautiful yard filled with trees, a big red barn, chicken coop and come summer, a garden and lots of flowers. Many a day was spent exploring and enjoying the freedom of "life at Grandma's house". Our family often made Sunday the day to visit, culminating with an evening meal of sandwiches and home canned sauce in pretty oval bowls with purple flowers on them. To end the day, there was "Wild Kingdom", "The Wonderful World of Disney" and "Bonanza" to fill our minds with more adventures.
And so it is, at the end of this Grandparents Day, I find myself saying, "Happy Grandparents Day, Grandma Ellen! Thank you for the storehouse of memories you provided in my life. Thank you for being the greatest example of someone who showed love to all and never anger, even amid a life filled with heartaches. Thank you for being a wonderful role model for me to follow, as I now have my own grandchildren to love. Tell my other grandparents I look forward to getting acquainted one day, knowing they, too, are a part of the person I've become. Also, please tell God thank you for arranging it so you were always close by in my life, and for now providing the same privilege in the life of my grandchildren. What a blessing to know we will one day enjoy an eternity of time together with the God who placed us in each other's lives!"
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