I was thinking about my grandson recently (as I so often do) and decided to “strike while the iron’s hot” and put pen to paper so here goes…
When I learned I was to become a grandmother, a million thoughts filled my head…many of them negative. With a little perspective thinking I realized that this was about the happiness of my son, his wife and their son. I felt there would be large hurdles. One is distance, we live an ocean apart. How to bond?
When he was eleven months old, Skype introduced my grandson to me. I was shocked and amazed at my immediate, overwhelming feeling of love for him. I couldn’t hold him but through the miracle of Skype, I could visit him regularly and discover his delightful personality. I could watch him develop. For example I saw him learn to walk.
When I learned that an expensive, complicated trip was planned to visit me, I was excited, thrilled and apprehensive. It had been decades since I had had any experience with an infant or toddler. When I saw him walk in, I fell in love all over again. He acted as if we had always known each other showing no fear or curiosity of my wheel chair.
I rarely think of him as adopted. I simply think of him as having a wonderful home and parents. His poor father was raised on old wives tales and Dr.Spock but his grandmother loved him very much too.
Like all grandmothers, I am absolutely certain that this is a very special boy with special talents that are already emerging.
Thanks to his parents, this wonderful child has given joy and purpose to a solitary life.
