The Grand Parents

"When was the last time, you ever saw the sunrise?"

It's not our role but one we've witnessed throughout the years, the role a grandparent plays in their grand children's lives, it's an awesome role usually.

For me I only had my Grand Pa John Hughes, and I loved him dearly despite not understanding his role when fathering my mother, he was not always there for her, and let the wicked stepmother forced on her at age 15 have too much to say and too much money control which put my mom in a bad situation for most of her teen and early adulthood years, but as a Grand Father we had many good times with him, and I'd have to say he influenced that first love of music most certainly for me, another Irish dreamer.
I lost Grandpa to prostate cancer when I was 16 yrs old, but not before a ton of humor and music and hugs had been indulged in. His accordion rests with me, and I still love the sound of a well played flute.

Next I witnessed our own child's Grand Parents as they blossomed and bloomed into their own styles, all very different due in part to living proximity, when he was a very young toddler my folks moved in with us due to a Wisconsin home sale, until the addition we were building onto our house would be ready for them to occupy, tight quarters for those first few months, and more "No's" for the toddler as he learned the safety of given terrain, no privacy for anyone, couch sleeping for us.  What was tough for the adults involved turned into a good old time for a growing boy, parents busy with survival skills being tweaked, he ended up preferring his grand parents who had patience to color, read, play, and shower affections on him as we tried to get the addition completed and after,  well he'd announce to us he was going home with the twins as he dubbed them, and he'd spend time with Grandpa on the couch pretending it was a fishing boat, tossing him out of that pretend boat onto the blue blankets and carpet, or testing out Grammies cooking which he was already smart enough to know was much better than mine, and so it went his first babysitters, substitute parents, and good friends flourished, until Grandpa and Grandma would become ill and have to leave 12 years apart.

His other set of Grand parents in the city would see him for family visits and holidays, their hands full with a rather large family and other grand children to babysit, play with and love, and not long after another new Grandson would be reared by them, so those relationships as established always did flourish,, daily living, all the details involved, teaching them survival skills, taking them to games, playing catch, teaching them how to cook and on and on it goes.

And then we witnessed as our siblings became grand parents, all the care and attention they'd give as their own grand children came into this world and needed some more love and teaching passed on to them.  Sometimes seeing a look or a trait passed from one generation to another has been a thing that brought many smiles to us. It is without a doubt that I see parts of the sibling in the child or vice versa, eye color, a look that stops you in your tracks, or a special smile, and you see the heridity for a fleeting moment.

And that is where the blessing of time and good health really comes to be cherished, more time for them all to play and guide their grandchildren, that's what I wish for.  I have no idea if we'll be blessed this way one day, but it would be something to look forward to, I think we'd enjoy the days spent ........