Recently we attended our two oldest Grandson's Graduations. You don't think about the fact that you will someday be attending graduations all over again after your last child graduates. You are just glad it's over and you got them all through it successfully. We have 9 Grandchildren with two down and 7 more to go. Ugh! That was our first reaction. Do we really have to attend their graduation Tom asked. Yes I said it's part of being a Grandparent and it's important to them that we are there. So we went reluctantly doing our duty. I cried watching them march in and again when they were handed their diplomas and Tom sat next me with a very proud look on his face.
The speeches giving by the students and teachers talked about this special day not only being about the past12 years of learning coming to end but also about the understanding that learning never ends and the real learning is about to begin as they venture out into the world to do what ever they are lead to.
Tyler is our first Grandchild he came into our life when he was 3 years old. Joe came into our life when he was 8. They both had a lot to deal with for such little guys and I always admire their strength and perseverance as they struggled with their own baggage. They have both always been close to my heart as if kindred spirits in the same struggle as a child growing up with more to deal with then any kid should have to. Tyler just swore in to become a Marine leaving for boot camp in April and Joe plans to work in the field of sheet metal which he trained for in Vo-Tech for the past two years. Both are eager to move on into adulthood.
I remember when I was this age thinking, so I'm an adult now, but not really feeling any different. Wondering am I really ready for this. For me it was a little to late to wonder as I got married and had a baby at the age of 18. How fast you go from being a kid to adulthood when you find your self suddlenly responsiable for a tiny baby.
Tom and I also attended one of our Granddaughters (Keria's) graduation for nursary school. It was quit surreal watching the two older boys come to the end of what Keri is only beginning.
I feel like I am experince life from a totally different perspective as a Grandparent. As a parent I was so busy being Mom taking care of my kids needs and trying really hard to do the right thing that I missed many of the opportunitys I am now able to appricate through my Grandchildren. Maybe that is normal. As I watch my own kids being parents now themselves they are just as busy trying to do all the right things yet it seems that their world is even more hectic then ours was. I guess that is why Grandchildren are such a gift. We can enjoy them totally and give them back when we get too tired.
My youngest Grandchild Austin makes me think about another aspect of life, the beginning. How innocent they are as they come into this world. The smell of them and softness of their new little body. How dependent they are on there parents to meet there every need. The pure joy of their parents appearance or for that matter our apperance as well is enough to overwhelm my heart.
Then they begin in the years as Arianna at 2, and Adian and Garrett at 4 when the personalitys begin to develop. They are so much fun to watch and at times the center of attention for all of us. But this is the time also when some of the ugliness of the world begins to enter them and they are also influnced by the things they see, hear and live with on a daily bases. How I wished I could keep them in a protected bubble that none of the ugliness of world could touch them, but of course that is unrealistic. It is part of being a human and a very big part of our development.
Morgan is 9 years old, and soon, as she points out about to enter the double digit age of 10. She is already feeling the hormones beginning to change her as she struggles with the idea of being a little girl at the door step of pre-teens. She fills at times like she doesn't know where she belongs in this stage of her life. I can still remember what this stage felt like for me only I was at least 11 at the time. I wanted to play with my doll one minute and then found myself hiding her in the lining closet the next.
Then finally there is Mikey who is at the beginning years of High School. Ready to do his own thing before he is ready like all teenager. Morgan is at the beginning stages of believing that her parents just don't understand and Mikey is at the point where he doesn't care if they understand because he already has all the answers.
I remember when I was in High School and sometimes I would tell my Dad that I wish I could just curl up in a ball and disappear into myself like a Rollie-Pollie bug. He would say, ah Connie, you are just going through a new stage in you life. I felt like the stages should be coming to an end at this point in my life and if this was what it felt like then I didn' want to go through anymore stages. He said that your whole life is full of different stages. Boy, can I look back and see that to be true. But now I also understand that life would be pretty boring if all our learning stopped at the end of High School or College. Now I look with excitment as to what I'll learn next and I hope I live long enough to do all the things I want to.
No comments:
Post a Comment