Grandchildren

Some people consider grandchildren to be the "best revenge" for their struggles with their own children. I must admit that I enjoy watching my own children as they move through their own parenting experiences, but I consider grandchildren to be the greatest blessings that my children can give to me.

My fourteenth "blessing" - a boy, making eight boys and six girls, all of them under the age of eleven - was born a week ago. I come from a family that considers children, grandchildren, and other posterity to be blessings in our lives. My own parents have 12 children, 70 grandchildren, 188 great-grandchildren, and 22 great-great-grandchildren - with more on the way. My parents have a total posterity of 292.

My oldest son's wife gathers pictures of all my grandchildren and makes a calendar for me as part of my Christmas gift each year. I love to look at all the pictures as I plan my activities and take a moment to think about what is most important to me. This time she put some cute sayings on the calendar also. Let me share some of them with you.

"Grandchildren are loving reminders of what we're really here for." It is easy to get caught up in being busy with life, but grandchildren in their sweet, innocent, and energetic ways help us to remember that relationships are much more important than projects.

"Being grandparents sufficiently removes us from the responsibilities so that we can be friends." Every child needs a friend who can love them, comfort them and tell them how wonderful they are. Grandparents can be that kind of friend. I receive many telephone calls from my grandchildren telling me about their latest accomplishments or problems. The latest was a little two-year-old boy who wanted to report to me that he is learning to go potty in the toilet. How thrilled he was to tell me of his success!

"Grandchildren are a gift from above - ones to cherish and to love." This is so true. Grandchildren come here straight from Heavenly Father and make life so very interesting.

"The laughter of a child is the light of a house." I love to hear little children laughing and happy. Their laughter lights up my life. One of my granddaughters has a laugh - really a chuckle - that comes from deep within her body. I love to hear her laugh!

"To become a grandparent is to enjoy one of the few pleasures in life for which the consequences have already been paid." While visiting my son and his family recently, I was performing a chore that my son thought should be done by one of the children. He sort of reprimanded me for doing it myself instead of insisting that a child do it. I informed him - kindly - that it was his job to teach the children to work and mine to simply enjoy them. He just laughed - but I meant it.

"Few things are more delightful than grandchildren fighting over your lap." It seems that when grandma or grandpa is cuddling a child, others want to get in on the love also. I quite often have more than one child in my lap when I have the opportunity.

"If I'd known grandchildren were so much fun, I'd have had them first!" I enjoy my grandchildren, but I wouldn't miss the opportunity to be a mother also. What a wonderful blessing!

"My grandkids are geniuses! (They think I'm perfect.)" This is often true. I convinced my oldest grandson that I had magical powers when I made popcorn out of kernels on the stove. He had never seen popcorn popped other than in a microwave oven, and he really thought it was magic!

"Grandchildren are precious gifts given to parents from their children." This is so true! Thank you!

"Grandparents are similar to a piece of string - handy to have around and easily wrapped around the fingers of their grandchildren." I will do anything that I can possibly do if one of my grandchildren asks me to do something for them. The latest request I received was one to make some pioneer costumes for my two granddaughters who will be riding on a float for Pioneer Day in Utah. I hope the girls enjoy the costumes!

I love my grandchildren and enjoy them very much. My children think that I visit them just to see the grandchildren. That is not true, but the grandchildren certainly add to the enjoyment of seeing my children. My grandchildren are special treasures in my life given to me by my children. Thank you!