August 18, 2007
Grandparents
Written by Cindy Kirk in Jaunty PostMy husband and I were reminising this week about grandparents. We’d seen a car just like one his grandfather used to have and he started talking about all the things his grandparents and he had done together when he was growing up.
I met my husband when I was sixteen. I knew his grandparents from the time we started dating when I was seventeen…and they were indeed a wonderful couple. They lived on a farm outside of town and loved nothing more than to have the grandkids come out.
Unfortunately I don’t have the same memories. My paternal grandmother and maternal grandmother died before I was born. What was I left with??? A paternal grandfather who didn’t care for children and a maternal grandmother who’d had seven children but only cared about the youngest…and consequently only cared about that aunt’s children.
But I was lucky. I had great parents, very warm and loving and supportive. Yet, when I hear friends talk about their grandparents, I have to admit I feel envious….but I was so lucky in the parents department that I’m not going to complain.
Still, it would be nice to have grandparent stories to tell–but I have none, nada, zip. How about you? Were you lucky like my husband….or deprived like me?
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Clarisse Says:
I’m like you Cindy. My parents were in their 40’s when I was born and 3 of the 4 grandparents were already deceased. My grandma was a sweety but she passed away when I was about 7 so no darling grannies for me. But my husband’s grandmother was such a total beast grandmother that maybe it is better to have none than to have one like that. She was hospitalized after she broke a hip and while she was in the hospital she was so awful that they had to put her in a straightjacket. She then palmed a pair of embroidery scissors and cut her way out. She also hated my sainted mother in law (who was the only person in the whole family who would take the old bat in and give her a oplaced to live). She cut my mother in law’s head out of all the family pictures.
Shana Says:
I have great grandparents. My father’s parents divorced and remarried, so I had 3 sets. My mom’s parents and my dad’s step-parents are still alive. They are all wonderful, especially my mom’s parents who, at age 87, drove from Michigan to Texas for my wedding. My maternal grandmother is a fabulous storyteller. She self-published a book a few years back and in July had an article published in the Grand Rapids (Michigan) newspaper. She’s 88!
The only problem is that I live in Texas and they all live in Michigan. I wish I could see them more.
Helen Says:
I only had one set of grandparents and had two great grandmothers all on my mothers side my Nan and Pop were wonderful I spent a lot of time with them they had a small farm in the country and we would go there for holidays with them, they had 10 grandchildren and we would all take turns in groups going to the farm as we called it I loved them so much. My grandfather died just after his mother when I was 16 but my Nan and Grandma were both at my wedding they both lived till they were 96. Nan is always in my thoughts. Grandma could be a bit crotchety at times.
Have Fun
Helen
ladydawgfan Says:
My maternal grandfather passed away when I was three weeks old, so I never knew him. My paternal grandfather passed when I was 4, so I have memory flashes of him, brief pictures of a jolly man with white hair, sitting on his lap while he gave me a sip of his champagne.
Both of my grandmothers, on the other hand, lived until I was in my 20’s, so I knew them well.
Marie Says:
I had the best grandfather that anyone could have asked for. I was his favorite out of 12 grandkids and he let it show subtley. He loved all of us. I remember one father’s day in church when all the father’s and grandfathers were to stand and they counted down till there was no one standing, but him as the one with the most grandkids. I loved him with every fiber of my being and he had a long drawn out death in 2003. He was in a coma like state for five months. He couldn’t eat, talk, or even open his eyes, but those times when he held on to my fingers with a death grip were the best times of my life. I was only fifteen then, he finally died two weeks before my sixteenth birthday and I was every moment I could be until he died.
I'm writing down the titles Says:
It’s been such fun reading your memories….
Clarisse with her gramzilla story
Shana who was lucky enough to have 3 sets of grandparents
Helen with the holidays at the farm
Ladydawgfan who at least had her grandmothers growing up
Marie with her wonderful grandfather. Even though your grandfather couldn’t respond, he knew you were there and I’m sure your words and presence were a great comfort to him in his final months.