I spent yesterday in Fort Worth watching my youngest grandson, Jonathan. His two older brothers have already started the school year, but his pre-school doesn't start until next week. My son and his wife both had to work, so I was honored to babysit. We will be back over there on Saturday to celebrate Jonathan's third birthday, and then stay to watch the TCU game on ESPN - Go Frogs. Barb and I are blessed because all of our kids still live in the DFW area. We gather regularly for family celebrations. We attend Texas Ranger baseball and TCU football games together. I have season tickets at Texas Motor Speedway for the purpose of sharing my NASCAR passion with my grandsons.
I grew up on the eastside of Detroit in a neighborhood where my grandparents and aunts and uncles all lived within walking distance. We moved to Texas twenty-two years ago and in the process moved a thousand miles away from my family. Grandparents were voices on the phone and aunts and uncles were the people we saw at family reunions. No regrets... it can be a reality in our mobile society.
Extended family play an important role when it comes to passing on family heritage. I recall the one Christmas when we were home visiting family. Katie was in middle school and had a class assignment to interview someone who had experienced history. We suggested my grandmother, who at that point was approaching a century of life's experiences. One question Katie asked was, "What was the most important invention during your life time?" She expected to hear television or maybe the telephone, but grandma's response was, "Electricity." What followed were stories about what life was like when people depended on oil lamps, and food was kept chilled in a real icebox. Katie came away with a different perspective that she still reflects on.
It's important that all children have the opportunity to interact with those of previous generations. Not every family is fortunate enough to grandparents within convenient driving distance. That is where church family and neighbors can play an important role. We all have stories to tell. Many of those stories involve life experiences, but others are lessons in faith and discipleship. It's vital that our kids stay grounded by hearing those stories.
My grandparents are so important to my life. Thankfully my parents made it important to visit them often even though they were far away. Nowadays my grandma still writes me letters telling the stories from her life. I treasure them. Thanks for blogging.
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