Lessons Learned

I am a grandma and think it must be one of the absolute best parts of life.  I’m sure it’s one of God’s rewards for making it through raising your own children!  There’s nothing quite like being “Gram” and coming from someone who loves being a mom, that’s a pretty good endorsement for grandparenthood.

I have six ‘grands’ between the ages of 13 years and 20 months old; three boys and three girls.  They all live close by and I enjoy getting to see them often.  I am called Gram, Mimi, Grandma and Gams and love that they each have their own ‘version’ of what to call me.  I’m not sure how that will play out as they get older so I’ll enjoy the variety for now.

I have had a few moments with Aubri, my youngest granddaughter, in the past month that have made me smile from the inside out and from which I have also learned a few lessons.  Today we’ll be celebrating her third birthday and I’ve been pondering the things I can learn from a three year old.

I got to go with Aubri and her brother Owen to Disney World last month and watching them enjoy all that activity was absolutely priceless (to coin a commercial!).  Everything was an adventure and seeing some of their favorite cartoon characters actually ‘come to life’ made them so excited you could almost feel it!  They watched parades, ate ice cream, got autographs, enjoyed the rides, went without naps and had their picture taken so many times we could paper a wall with the prints!  I realized how much more fun things are when we simply enjoy the good moments we’re given.

On one of the beautiful, warm days we were recently blessed with, I took Aubri and Owen for a walk.  They were excited to be outside in the sunshine and, as with most little ones, the walk became a time to explore all the rocks and leaves and cracks in the sidewalk.  Aubri learned a new boundary during this walk; she was allowed to go a few paces in front of me then stop and wait until Owen and I caught up with her.  She asked me one time why she had to wait and after that, all I had to say was, ‘”Far enough.” and she’d stop. When we caught up she’d say, “Now I can go?” then skip ahead a few paces before stopping to wait again.  How I wish I obeyed that quickly. Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not trying to make you think she always obeys the first time around, (she’s wonderful but that would be stretching things!) I’m just telling you she did this time and it made an impression on me. Do you suppose it makes an impression on God when we obey that quickly?

One evening this wonderful little girl looked at me and said, “Gams, you my best friend.”  Oh did my heart swell and my face light up with a big smile.  What could be more wonderful than to have your grandchild say you were her best friend?  But she wasn’t finished making declarations.  The next thing she said was, “And mommy my best friend and daddy my best friend and Owen my best friend and Nanna my best friend and Pap-pap my best friend.”  My smile changed to a laugh but it was the next sentence that captured my heart.  She looked at me, cocked her head to the side and said, “Everybody loves me!”.

What wonderful, healthy self-esteem, I mean, after all, what’s not to love!  I know as time goes on that self-esteem will be tested and she’ll realize not everyone thinks she’s as wonderful as her family does.  We will, no doubt, have our times of consoling her because of one harsh friend or another but for right now, she knows nothing but love and adoration.

I think God wants us to know for real how much He loves us.  Too often we doubt His love because we base it on what we know about ourselves.  God’s love isn’t based on us at all; it’s about Him just plain loving us not us deserving that love.  When Aubri is not so quick to obey, we don’t love her any less and when her disobedience is handled and things are set right, she doesn’t walk around thinking we don’t love her anymore.  I think God would have us accept His love with that type of innocence.  He loves us; that’s the beginning and the end of the matter.

So this afternoon an entire group of people who love this little girl will gather together and celebrate her.  We will lavish her with attention, hugs and kisses and gifts.  There will be lots of laughter and smiles and she will know she is loved.  I wish her Papaw Eric could be with us.  He would enjoy her innocence and make her laugh and it would warm my heart to see them together.  You know what?  As smart as he was, I bet she’d teach him a few things, too!!

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.     Psalm 127:3

Children’s children are a crown to the aged….Proverbs 17:6