My morning walk sparked a good memory in early June, in the mid -1960s. The water was cold while I jumped in the shallow end of the pool. By walking slowly on the pool steps, my grandmother said unusually cold for one morning in June. We were standing early for his swim in the morning to beat the young swimming students who would soon arrive. Going back to it, I have no memory of his swimming, but I am sure that I splashed and practiced my siren features.
My uncle arrived just before the children started to spread cars for several swimming cycles. I joined my group for the lessons of the day, and my grandmother passed out to her many household chores.
My grandfather and my uncle built the small community swimming pool on family land. The teaching of swimming lessons was the way my uncle faces the loss of his five -year -old son, who drowned ten years ago. It was common to see horses attached to the fence at noon when the children came to enjoy a little summer pleasure.
I remember having swam, but the memories of my grandmother are ephemeral, sweep the kitchen and the floor of the living room daily, suspended clothes outside to dry and kill a snake with a hoe melt in the red velvet cake at Christmas and a lot of hugs.
Time with my grandmother was not a question of pleasure; Even swimming early in the morning joined its morning routine, not for my entertainment.
Today, I hear friends talking about preparations for grandchildren who come to visit. They even talk about the cousin camp. Each day is full of events designed to entertain and guarantee that children have fun. As the week has passed, my friends are exhausted and often say that their favorite point of view is the braking fires while the family car takes them into their real life.
I wonder what their grandchildren will remember the visit.
For some time now, there has been a clear difference between relationships that children and grandchildren have now with their parents and grandparents and what was the norm in my childhood. Psychologists have greatly studied change.
In the end, they say that we have closer links between generations that what existed 50 years ago. Despite the criticisms of the parents of overestimated and overprotective helicopters, we know a change that suggests that adult children are much closer to their parents than in past generations.
Do you suppose that these relational dynamics extend to grandparents? My answer without instruction is yes. It seems that children are more linked to their grandparents than ever before.
The Grandparents challenge is to recognize the opportunities to set examples and share life lessons. My grandmother taught me to start early, enjoy a little personal time, dive into tasks and share good food.
There was always room for one or two more at the table and time to collect funds for the ODD Fellow and Rebekah Children’s Home in Corsicana and Odd Fellow Home for the elderly in Ennis.
I am sure you are delighted to know the link between grandchildren and grandparents in depth. But do not let this link let yourself be exhausted at the end of a week full of action with your grandchildren without lasting memories.
Take the time to choose some activities that can be inspiring and memorable. Share with your grandchildren how you help others. Take them to donate to one of your favorite charities. Enter and present your little child to someone from the charitable organization and let him give the donation check. Ask them to help you clean the cupboards and donate items that others can still use wisely. You will not know what the sticks, but they will learn life with you.
I did not know that I was learning to be philanthropic from my grandmother. ODD Fellow and Rebekah Lodge members were dedicated to philanthropy and charity. I saw what she did and I had the occasional privilege of scoring. She did not explain what we were doing in detail. I just did everything she did.
I would not exchange memories of my grandmother with anyone. I share a few with my cousins. I was busy learning everything about charity. What are your grandchildren who learn from you?
– Dawn Franks Strategic Solutions provides coaching, planning and families, business, business, foundations and non -profit organizations to maximize impact and improve donations. She is the author of the Giving Gift, available for Kindle on Amazon, and the electronic book giving fingerprints, available to Dawnfranks.com. Contact it to dawn@dawnfranks.com