GRANDMA ...LEAVE US A LEGACY

The sheer joy that the word Grandma brings to a woman's heart when spoken by her grandchild is indescribeable!! The bonds between a Grandmother and her granddaughter are similiar yet distinctly different than those she shared with her daughter. It is a true wonder to be part of your grandchild's discovery of the world that surrounds her and to view the world from their young perspective.

I think it is comforting knowing that while you may be "in charge" of your grandchildren for a specified period of time, the total responsiblity is no longer yours this time around. After all, the reality of childrearing is that children are on loan from God..He is the one ultimately in charge. The more my grandchildren learn about today's world, the more I realize we are separated by a different period in time each with distinctive pros and cons.

A central part of a grandparent-grandchild relationship is not only built upon respect, but also upon sharing of knowledge and experiences between generations. Grandchildren often ask "what was it like when you were little?" or things like,"you mean they had computers when you were little?" or "who is PAC man?"

Grandchildren love to hear Grandma's stories about the simpler days when life was not so complicated. The back whens and I remember when are frequent cliches in conversation. The hope of Grandmothers is in my opinion that their grandchildren remember her teachings and life lessons and store this information for future use when faced with life trials and dilemmas.

Life is unpredictable. Unfortunately, a Grandma does not always have the opportunity to share in all of the joys and dreams that occur during her grandchildren's lives before she is called away from this earth.

The memories are priceless in the minds of those who knew her, but a written legacy of her life is a heirloom that can be treasured and shared with future generations to come. After loved ones have passed on, written notes on old recipes or left between beloved pages of scriptures are treasured by those who knew Grandma.

In today's automated world, there are countless journals available for recording Grandma's life while her mind is clear and her fingers still nimble. An old technique with a modern twist for ensuring the passage of an heirloom between generations. Why not consider giving your Mom or Grandma a journal to start her life story for Mother's Day, birthday or Christmas? I find these written legacies to be much more comforting that a geneological chart of my ancestors.