Two years a go I became a grandma. I had always hoped I would transition right from having my own little ones into having grandchildren. It pretty much happened that way, there is a 6 yr. gap between our youngest and our first grandchild. My little granddaughter and my youngest daughter are great friends, and I love watching them together. With our own children there is such a sense of responsibility that makes parenting fun but also a job. A very worthwhile and rewarding job but still not something you can just sit back and watch happen. Parenting requires us to participate. Grand parenting is totally different.
Grand parenting brings a whole new light on how everything is viewed. I get to sit back and watch. I get to observe. I get to enjoy the adventurous spirit in my granddaughter that sometimes wears her parents out. I get to laugh a whole lot. I get to notice who she gets which traits from and smile about every one of them, good and bad. I get to see a blessing in everything about her sweet two year old life. I have always told everyone that two year olds are my favorite, I love that age. But now I have an even better point of view.
I have learned that every stage of life, every season has it’s blessings, and that we can learn from every age if we will open our eyes and our hearts to be teachable.
I have always been a parent that takes parenting serious, sometimes folks I know think I take it too serious. I know however that it has eternal consequences so I determined long ago to give it my all. I love my God, and I love my children with all of my heart. I will run this race and finish well, yet I am also learning to stop along the way and smell the roses. We all have roses in our lives, they are the sweet smelling experiences. Yes they often comes with thorns but the sweet aroma and the soft touch overcomes the thorns and makes the rest all the sweeter.
My dear sisters, I encourage you to fill your homes with roses! Not literally, although that is nice too, but figuratively. Look around you and recognize all the sweet experiences and lovely days just waiting to happen in your own home. Baking with your daughters, gardening, fixing something with your son, sitting on the porch swing with your hubby. Enjoy life! We live on a working farm, and we work hard, but at least once a day, everybody stops what they are doing and just enjoys each other’s fellowship. It may happen over a glass of iced tea or a bowl of ice cream. It is not planned, but I have come to notice it happens all the time. Taking time to smell the roses and recognizing how much you are blessed with. We don’t have to go on vacation to enjoy time with our families, it can and should happen everyday, right in our own homes. Take a look around you and count your blessings, I bet there are more than you can count .
and .. your thoughts?