His parents: Grandpa and Grandma.
My parents: Papa D and Granny.
His parents: traveled by car.
My parents: traveled by plane.
His parents: have visited New England a handful of times.
My parents: first time visitors.
His parents: came to spoil the young'uns bearing gifts.
My parents: came to spoil the young'uns bearing gifts. Yeah, it's a grandparent thing.
One of the most fulfilling things of my life has been watching my children interact with their grandparents. Indy gets toted around wherever she pleases and is smothered with kisses along the way, while her older brother gets playfully tussled and teased until his belly aches with laughter. I stand there as a spectator, watching them react to each other; bashfulness and caution quickly turns into explosive acts of love. Their wrinkled smiles--both young and old--are exchanged, followed by an outbreak of tickles. The heart in my chest swells and grows and if the moment is right, my eyes get a bit misty.
If time could only slow down, it would've been last month. If time could rewind, it would be now. As much as I have loved living in some pretty incredible places, the fact that we live so far from our extended families can be such a drag. We miss out on family vacations, birthdays, graduations, baptisms, dance recitals, basketball and football games, and all types of events that bring us together. But because we are family, we still belong and our ties are strengthened and bound with love. A family is forever and I'll take whatever I can get with the time we have now.
Thank heavens for Skype.
