“Grandparents help us with zippers and shoelaces and stuff like that. They send birthday cards with money, too.” When I was a kid, I loved going to grandma and grandpa’s house. When we arrived they were always waiting with open arms; hugs and loves; and lots of attention. Yes, that’s it … we got lots of attention. They made us feel special and wanted. Affirmation was always waiting for us at grandma and grandpa’s house along with happiness and fun and goodies.
When grandma knew we were coming over to see her she would always have the little red box of “Sun Maid Raisins” waiting for us. My Dad loved Lemon pie and so did us kids (I had an older sister and a younger brother) and Nana (my dad’s mom) would bake lemon and cherry pies especially for our arrival.
There were always cookies in the cookie jar for cookies and milk. There was always candy in the candy bowl. We used to sneak some when nobody was looking … and I’m sure grandma knew it – kinda like playing cat and mouse.
At Easter we would go to grandma and grandpa’s house and have an Easter egg hunt. They would hide them all over the yard. Finding them was so fun.
At Christmas time grandpa would have all the beautiful Christmas lights on the house and the Christmas tree. Everything was always so beautiful. Countless presents were piled under the tree and all over the living room. Wow! Christmas was so cool.
There was one very special thing that I cherish most of all about my grandma Gray (my mother’s mother) … she would always take us into the bathroom to wash our hands before eating dinner on Sunday afternoons when we were little. In those days all we had was bar soap. She would wait until the water was warm and just right, then she would place the soap in her hand and make lather and wash our hands with her hands. To this very day every time I wash my own hands, I have the wonderful pleasure of remembering her heavenly touch.
No matter how old your children are Mom, take them to the bathroom and wash their hands with your hands. We are never too old to enjoy the feel of someone washing our hands with their hands, especially at grandpa and grandma’s house.
Be Happy! Make memories … you know, the kind that smile back at you.