Sharing the secrets of the universe

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought

by Mary May Larmoyeux

Last Tuesday I wrote about sharing family stories and a couple of weeks ago the Tuesday Grand Connection blog was about grandparents being gifts from God. Many thanks to those of you who sent me your memories of your grandparents! I'd like to share some of your stories over the next couple of weeks.

My friend Sharon, who writes a wonderful blog A Break from the Norm, said: "I miss my grandfather. He died over twenty years ago, but I think about him often. He especially came to mind a few weeks ago when my husband and I were having breakfast at a restaurant near our home. We were seated across the aisle from a man who was sitting at a table with a little girl. At first, I thought the man was the little girl’s father, but when she called him, 'Pa-pa,' I figured out that he was in fact her grandfather. The thing that struck me about watching them was how sweet and gentle he was with this little girl, who was obviously his little princess. As she yammered on in her little-girl voice he listened as if she were sharing the secrets of the universe."

I wonder if Sharon just expressed one of the reasons that grandparents are so special. Like the little girl Sharon mentioned, grandparents are quick to stop the hectic pace of life and exchange it for precious time with a grandchild. They care. They love. They listen.

Could that be why grandchildren seem to really hear their grandparents' words?

When I look into the eyes of our grands, I thank God for them and often recall a time long ago when their parents were young. I've seen firsthand how quickly time goes by.

Why do you think grandkids often listen to their grandparents as though they share the secrets of the universe?

Have a great week,
Mary

Mary May Larmoyeux

The Grand Connection

Mary's Examiner.com column

© 2010 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.
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Grandparents ... gifts from God

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought
by Mary May Larmoyeux


Children's children are a crown to the aged. (Proverbs 17:6)

As a child, I loved being with my Nana and Grandpa. Life just seemed to stop at their home. I remember drawing pretend houses with them on big pieces of brown paper—cutting out the furniture from a Sears Catalog. And what fun it was to try to walk in Nana and Grandpa’s yard on a pair of stilts. I never did master that.

There’s just something special about a grandparent interacting with their legacy. But what exactly is it?

I asked Pops what makes grandparents seem so special. He thinks part of the answer lies in perspective that only comes with age. I think he’s right.

“Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day,” Marcy DeMaree says, “and now the day was complete.”

“I loved their home,” Susan Strasberg says about her grandparents. “Everything smelled older, worn but safe; the food aroma had baked itself into the furniture.”

Nora Hetrick says in her poem "Grandparents Are Special," that grandparents “sprinkle stardust over our lives in all that we do.” I really like that!

Grandparents Are Special

By Nora Hetrick

Grandparents are special

in so many different ways,

Their hearts are filled with love

and they brighten up our days.

Grandparents are great listeners

when we need them to advise,

Because they’re always understanding

and are truly very wise.

Grandparents have great smiles

because they’ve been smiling for so long,

And they even make us smile

when everything is going wrong.

Few can bring the warmth

that can be found in their embrace,

And little more is needed to feel loved

than the smile on their face.

They’re a supply of precious stories

yet they’ve time to wipe a tear,

And give us reasons to laugh

as they grow more precious through the years.

Nobody can do for grandchildren

what grandparents are willing to do,

Because grandparents sprinkle stardust

over our lives in all that we do.

Grandparents are so generous

and they make sure we have the best,

So I’m thankful for my grandparents

and I know I’m truly blessed.

May the land yield unto them

a perfumed garden always growing,

With a warm breeze and a quiet sea

that’s filled with love overflowing.

(from www.voicesnet.org)

What memories do you have of your grandparents? Why were they special?

Have a great week,

Mary

Mary May Larmoyeux

The Grand Connection

Mary's Examiner.com column

© 2009 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

Grandparents Are Special

Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought
by Mary May Larmoyeux

Children's children are a crown to the aged. (Proverbs 17:6)

Last week I had a wonderful time speaking to the "Keenagers" of Geyer Springs First Baptist Church about grandparenting. What a great group!

I shared with them about how much I loved being with my grandparents. Life just seemed to stop at Nana and Grandpa's home. I remember Nana helping me draw pretend houses on big pieces of brown paper—cutting out the furniture from a Sears Catalog. And what fun it was to try to walk in Nana and Grandpa’s yard on a pair of stilts. I never did master that.

I asked the Keenagers about some of their memories with their grandparents. One of them said that she loves eating sauerkraut and remembers how her grandmother would let her eat a whole jar of sauerkraut when she would visit her.

Another fondly recalls her grandmother always prefacing plans with "the Lord willing."

One special lady is a wealth of family history. She shared how her grandmother, Little Mammy, would tell her stories about the times after the Civil War.

Another said that the "magic of Christmas" began with her grandmother, who lived with her family, asking her on Christmas Eve "Did you hear 'em?" Then her grandmother would say, "Santa Claus and his reindeer are up there [on the roof]!"

What are some of the wonderful memories that you have of your grandparents? Poet Nora Hetrick says grandparents “sprinkle stardust over our lives in all that we do.” I really like that!

Have a great week and sprinkle some star dust,
Mary
www.marymaywrites.com

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© 2009 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.
Photo © 2009 by Mary May Larmoyeux