Well, I surely did not know! Being a grandmother is like nothing I could have imagined. Your babies have babies! This new role finds its way deep into your heart the moment you hold those precious miraculous newborns.

I was fortunate to be at the births of both of my grandsons, which is an honor I am humbled by. And I did not totally expect the deep solid love I felt with them in my arms. The ease with which all those mothering instincts kicked right back in without missing a beat amazed me. And, yet there is a subtle and serene difference being their grandmother, not their mother.

My children are phenomenal parents. It is a position of immense stress and full of opportunity to grow. I watch with pride as they take on the challenges inherent in being mothers and fathers. I am always there to offer what wisdom I might have to offer and yet try to let them navigate those parenting waters, calm or stormy. I respect their choices, even when they are different than mine were.

I did not have my wonderful mother around to ease my path, nor did I have a particularly close relationship with either of my grandmothers. So, I believe I am very aware of the potential to develop and nurture my special place in my grandsons’ lives. I am the matriarch in the family now, the leading generation, shocking as that is! There is more time, less intensity in this sweet spot I find myself in. And I am treasuring every moment of it.

I love you beyond measure Lysander Jesse and Dillon Michael