Happiness in a 3-year-old package, with no expiration date!

What a difference one night can make. It’s Wednesday, January 28, 2009 and I am still thinking about the sleep over we had Monday night with our little Alexander Benjamin. He’s the first of our grandchildren to come and stay since we moved back into our home and all I can say is that having your grandchildren with you is good for whatever ails you. Since it had been many months since he stayed with us, he had to adjust a little to being there all night, but once he did, we had a ball. I bathed him and let him play in the tub for 30 minutes. I then loaded up a kid’s game on the computer featuring Diego the animal rescue character from the Dora the Explorer cartoon series. He and his MiMi played that interactive game until bedtime and then he was off to sleepy time between his MiMi and his Poppy. I’ve never read any of those Chicken Soup for the Soul books or the dozens of spin-offs but I can tell you that we have our own Chicken Soup to make everything better, our grand kids, and on this particular occasion it was our little Alex!

Isn’t it funny how we can’t slow down long enough to catch our breath but when our little ones are around we can suspend most activities, large and small, with no concern for their outcome, just to spend quality time with them? I’m sure my boys wonder where that guy was when they were growing up. He was busy (like they are) and he thought he was making a living but there’s little doubt he could have done more to make a life especially for those that matter most. Some eight year olds were asked the question: What is a grandparent?

Here are some of their responses: Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people's. ….A grandfather is a man grandmother. ….Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. ....Grandparents are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. ….It is good if they drive us to the store and have lots of quarters with them. ….When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars. ….They show us and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on cracks. ….They don't say, "Hurry up." …Usually grandmothers are fat, but not too fat to tie your shoes. ….They wear glasses and funny underwear. ….They can take their teeth and gums out. ….Grandparents don't have to be smart. ….When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again. ….Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television, because they are the only grown ups who like to spend time with us. ….They know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say prayers with us every time, and kiss us even when we've acted bad.

And finally, when a bright eyed six year old was asked where his grandma lived, he came up with this jewel: ''OH,'' HE SAID, ''SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.'' Okay, some of our younger readers will not grasp the reality or the reliability of these comments, but hang on, because your day is coming. The good news is that while these thoughts may be a little direct, they generally wouldn’t embarrass any of us who proudly wear our badges when we show up at the school cafeteria on Grandparent’s Day. What a privilege and what a joy! Amen? I can hear it coming back to me, loud and clear: AMEN! Have a great day and may God bless us all! …….More later.