Dear friends,
I must admit I’m a bit more tired these days. No, not from tackling a major physical feat or even a minor one. It has to do with being present for my two grandchildren, who are visiting me for the summer. Grandmotherhood to 7 and 9-year olds confers such challenging roles as: short order cook; dispenser of playground justice; defender of the rule of order when eating with other people; referee on numerous conflicts involving who did it first; teaching sewing to the nine-year old and keeping the seven-year old committed to completing such tasks as picking up toys.
I’m no stranger to these wonderful challenges. After all, Pablo and I raised two sons who were just as precocious, independent, intensely curious, and hard-headed as my grandchildren. In my defense, I was younger and had more energy then!
My grandchildren remind me, forcibly, that life is about here and now. They are not yet worried about peer pressure or what others will think, so they speak without filters. They ask me questions that take me aback and make me wonder about my assumptions and my passive acceptance of certain things. They have a sense of the natural order of things, like “why do some kids die before their parents?” or why does eating certain veggies makes their friend Johnny strong but not his sister Judy.
I will miss my grandchildren terribly when they return to their home and their school. I am resolved to keep their sense of wonder and curiosity about the world for as long as I can. As my health span and life span become shorter, I’m also resolved to stay focused on what I can do NOW rather than worry excessively about the future. Being truly present now sure beats the alternative!
Best,
Cora
