How To Be The Grooviest Grandparents in Town

How to be the Grooviest Grandparents in Town

“Now that I have grandchildren, this is my priority! It’s a marvelous love affair between generations.”

Just today as I began writing this chapter on grandparenting, I looked up at the clock and realized I had volunteered to pick up our grandson James from preschool at noon. It was almost time to pick him up, but I was on a roll with my writing. The car seat was in my car, and Cathy was watching Charlotte, our three-year-old granddaughter, and Huxley, our six-month-old grandson. It was a full day of grandparenting and out of the question to bail on the pickup. I found myself in the familiar old rush of young parents.

At the school, the line was long and chaotic, and the parking lot was a mess. I got out of my car, and suddenly, I saw my grandson jumping up and down and yelling to all his friends, “Yay! Yay! My Papa J is here! My Papa J is here!” Then he pointed at me and, with great energy, shouted, “That’s my Papa J!” He jumped out of the waiting area before he was really supposed to and came running into my arms. I’m so glad I was wearing sunglasses, because my eyes were filled with tears of joy.

The love affair between a grandparent and a grandchild is beyond description. I instantly lost all interest in my writing and other responsibilities and just wanted to spend as much time as possible with my little five-year-old buddy. I am quite aware that he will reach an age when his unbounding enthusiasm for me will diminish. But this I know: I have a shot at building a legacy of love with these grandchildren of mine as I make them a top priority for my life. I’ve never felt unconditional love and overwhelming acceptance from another human like I have from my grandchildren. I want them to feel the same from me.

 

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Jim Burns

Jim Burns is the president of HomeWord. He speaks to thousands of people around the world each year. He has close to 2 million resources in print in 20 languages. He primarily writes and speaks on the values of HomeWord, which are: Strong Marriages, Confident Parents, Empowered Kids, and Healthy Leaders. Some of his most popular books are: Confident Parenting, The Purity Code, Creating an Intimate Marriage, Closer, and Doing Life with Your Adult Children. Jim and his wife, Cathy, live in Southern California and have three grown daughters, Christy, Rebecca, and Heidi; three sons-in-law, Steve and Matt, and Andy; and three grandchildren, James, Charlotte and Huxley.

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