Not For Grandmas Only

In my last entry I mentioned that I found two special books at the Goodwill recently. I told you about one of them - here is the other one.

This book is full of humor and insights into being a grandmother in our world today. "Times have changed. The old vision of a grandmother -- gray hair, glasses, a shawl and a rocking chair on the front porch -- is no longer a reality. Today, grandma may wear jogging shoes, have a full-time career, and live hundreds of miles away. But grandmas are even more important, what with the changing culture, than they always have been. They can and do make a difference in the lives of their grandchildren. 'Each of us has a grandmothering style, a special way of giving loving support and nurture that fits us perfectly,' say authors Stoop and Southard. 'Our challenge is to find that particular style and work from within it'".

I plan to read the entire book soon. What I have read while browsing through it has given me some great ideas and encouragement in my life as a grandmother. Patsy Clairmont,a favorite author and speaker of mine, wrote this poem that is included in the book:

In the dim and distant past,

When life's tempo wasn't fast,

Grandma used to rock and knit,

Crochet, tat and babysit.

When the kids were in a jam,

They could always count on Gram.

In an age of gracious living,

Grandma was the gal for giving.

Grandma now is in the gym,

Exercising to keep slim.

She's off touring with the bunch,

Taking clients out to lunch,

Driving north to ski or curl.

All her days are in a whirl.

Nothing seems to stop or block her,

Now that Grandma's off her rocker!

I enjoyed the quotes about grandparents on Bev's blog, Scratchin' The Surface. She included darling pictures of her beautiful grandchildren. I enjoy reading what she writes. This one is great. I'm sure you will enjoy it, too.