Golden Grandchildren

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the prophets.  Matthew 7:12
I just turned fifty seven years old.  It's funny that inside I feel no older than I did twenty years ago, but my body tells a different story.  Exertion brings about back pain, headache and sore feet.  Twenty years ago it brought about a euphoric feeling and made me want to do more.  However, I would not go back for the world. 
Twenty years ago I was thirty seven, had three wonderful teenagers that severely tried my patience, brought me many tears and much laughter, and made my heart swell with pride and joy.  It was a wonderfully blessed time in my life as it prepared me for my life now.  I remember wondering when I would get a full night of sleep again and if I would ever have the organized house of my dreams.  Then those same children grew into adults, married and had children of their own.  I hear them in my mind and sometimes with my physical ears asking the same questions I used to ask and I smile, because I know that one day they will be where I am and will look back and realize just how wonderful those days really were.  If it weren't for those days of preparation, I could never have reached the place of being able to care for seven children from two different families, with two different rearing styles for two full days, with three of them spending two nights and not ending up frustrated, uptight and yelling.  However, because I know just how quickly time flies, how important it is to relish every moment possible with them and how vital it is to take every opportunity to share God's love with them: when there was conflict, I could calmly remind them to be kind to each other or they would have to take a nap (works wonders), pray at lunch for us all to remember that school starts on Thursday and so we need to enjoy our time together, feed them and clean the mess over and over again with the joy of knowing it made them happy and then wrap my arms around each of them one by one and tell them how VERY much I love them.  Actually, I did that last bit many, many times over the last couple of days.  By yesterday afternoon I had the headache, backache and sore feet, and this morning I woke feeling exhausted and had an asthma attack, but my heart was so filled with love for God providing me this opportunity and the training to go with it that when our daughter called and said her children were hoping to see me again today, even though she told them I was probably too tired, I had to go see them.  I didn't stay, but I took them lunch and received a BUNCH of hugs and kisses.  Talk about making it all worthwhile!!
One event that took place with a brother and sister yesterday I hope I will never forget.  They had been arguing over two small balls the sister had been using to try to learn to juggle.  The brother asked for them.  She told him she was still using them.  He grabbed her leg and pulled her shirt, causing her to drop the balls.  He then grabbed the balls and ran away.  I came in in the middle of the sister laying on top of her brother grabbing and trying to get them back.  He was yelling and crying while she simply repeated, "Give them back!"  I separated them, said a quick silent prayer for wisdom, then asked them how they were supposed to treat each other.  They both replied, "With kindness."  I told them that was true, but that I wanted to know exactly what God's word said about it.  Then I said, "Treat others the way...." and they said simultaneously, "the way you want to be treated."  I then turned to our grandson and asked, "So, if you had a toy and were playing with it and someone came and asked you for it..." He jumped in with, "I would give it to them."  I told him I hoped so, but what if he wasn't finished and asked them to wait a minute.   Would he want them to grab his legs and pull on his shirt and when he dropped the toy, run away with it?"  He looked very sad and shook his head no.  I then turned to our granddaughter and asked, "If one of your friends had a toy and you wanted to play with it, so asked if you could, would you want them to tell you no?  How would it make you feel?"  She said that it would make her sad.  I then asked what they wanted to do.  They looked at each other, apologized with sincerity, hugged each other tightly and then our granddaughter asked our grandson for a "kissy," which he happily gave her.  I whispered a thank You to God and hugged them both.

Thank You, Lord, for the trials of parenthood that teach us well how to become grandparents if we will but remember the things You have taught us, especially the part about how quickly time goes by!!  Where physical work makes our older bodies weary and achy, the joy of grandparenting, though very hard work at times, brings that same euphoric feeling physical labor used to give our younger bodies, but it is on a much larger scale and stays with us for all eternity.  It is all much more than worthwhile!!