When
my kids were little we would make a big deal of Grandparents’ Day. We planned our weekend visiting and
delivering tokens of our love and appreciation to the grandparents - small
plants or flowers for the grandmoms and great-grandmothers, cards and a candy
bar for the grandfathers.
Only
one on that list is still with us.
I
became a grandma in 2001; HB acquired the prestigious title of grandpa when he
married me in 2006. Since then we have “titled”
him seven more times.
He
is tickled pink (but mostly blue since seven of the eight are boys) and takes
the title of Grandpa HoneyBunch seriously.
He’s
built furniture, toys, and playscapes.
He’s repaired hundreds of store-bought items not meant for the
rambunctiousness of healthy and curious hands. He’s hiked, fished, and roller
skated. He has cheered at t-ball,
baseball, and soccer games. He’s dried
tears, fixed boo boo’s, and given advice.
Nothing
makes me smile more than to watch him go about his chores shadowed by a little
man, listen to him hold a serious conversation with a preschooler, or have him
drop whatever he is doing because one of the grandkids needs him.
They
think he is “cool,” but then he saves baby birds, eight-foot long snake skins,
or the snake itself to show them “just in case they drop by.” All I have going
in my favor is an educational DVD or book, a home cooked meal, or ice cream.
He
downplays his grandfatherhoodness, saying he is just their step-grandpa, but I
assure him his unselfish love, his limitless sacrifice, and his fatherly
example have earned him the use of the full-fledged title. Happy Grandparents’
Day, HoneyBunch.
Grandparents’
Day is always the first Sunday after Labor Day, so this year we celebrate it on September 9th, 2012.
You definitely have a winner there, Raquel. How lucky those little rugrats are to have an active and loving grandpa like HB.
ReplyDeleteHe truly is a great man. You guys are the best!
ReplyDelete