I’m going to be a Grandma!

There are definitely days in your life that I like to call “Banner Days” which are defining moments in your life be they happy or sad. Being a parent of four kids means I had thought at some point that I might be a grandmother some day. And, that day is coming in September as my oldest son, Myk, and his wife, Marnie, announced that they are expecting! Since their names both begin with an “M”, M&M’s were used in favors at their wedding. It was very “appropriate” for them to have specially printed pink and blue M&M’s with “Baby Crawford”, and “M&M +1″ printed on them. What a wonderful surprise!

After googling, “First Time Grandparents”, I lots of sites that related to this new title-to-be of mine.  One article said that this is one of the only times in your life that you actually get to decide what you want to be called. In my family, “Grandma” was the only name used for this honor, yet Tom’s family had an Oma, a Nana plus an Ama; and my children call his mother “Mimi”. My mother was “Grandma” to my kids, but unfortunately she died in 1988 so really only Myk remembers her.  And, there are so many variations or special names that will just be invented because the grandchild will pronounce it they way she or he will do it.

What is a grandparent? My paternal grandmother died before I was 5, and I don’t remember her at all.  The memories of my own maternal grandmother are of course unique to me, but my grandma was 75 years old when I was born, blind in one eye, and in a wheelchair because she had had polio. No memories of being read to, playing in the park, making cookies, or just being held like I hope to do with my own grandchildren. Tom has wonderful memories of his grandparents; and I was grateful that I got to know them. What will my grandchildren remember of me? That’s what I want to think about and pray about during the next months while waiting for Baby Crawford to arrive. Babies are definitely God’s way of telling the world that life goes on!

Piece,
Michele