Grands and Greats

Grandparents are a priceless treasure in a child's life, but their huge value is not often recognized until they are departed from this life.   Then you look back and reflect on all the times they poured themselves into your lives and you get teary-eyed with the longing to sit and talk to them again.  You wish you could hear more stories about their lives and the lives of your parents as they grew up.  You wish you had sat and recorded every family member's name your grandparent's could recollect for a family tree record.  You wish for some favorite food that your grandmother always prepared just for you -- no matter how simple the dish, no one else can fix it like she could.

 

I was fortunate to be the "first" grandchild on both my parent's sides . . . so I received an immeasurable amount of love and attention . . .but I also know my grandparents had a way of making each and every one of the grands feel like the "most" special.

 

The TIME spent with my grandparents is by far my most fondest memory . . . no one can invest time in your life better than a grandparent.  I loved to sit at the kitchen table at Grandmother Branyon's and watch for the coffee to percolate on the stove -- that was my official Sunday morning job.  My Papa Branyon would give me a quarter to comb his hair.  I'd sit in the den and listen to them study over their Sunday School lesson every Saturday evening that I spent the night.  I loved sleeping on the feather mattress at their house -- it was so comfy.

 

My Grandmother Mauldin loved flowers, and we would work in the flower beds together at her house. I remember sitting in my Papa Mauldin's lap and playing with his pocket watch at a very young age.  I loved to look at the photo albums and hear the stories of all the adventures their family of six kids had together -- they had some hard times, but it made them a close knit family.

 

Now that many of my friends are becoming grandparents, I am hearing stories of the intense love that comes from having the gift of a grandchild. In due time, this special privilege will become mine -- and I want to be the most "time" lavishing grandmother ever!  I think the main difference in being a grandmother instead of a mother is the wisdom you have gained.  As a new mother, you don't have the blessing of experience -- so a lot of what you do is trial and error.   But a grandmother can look back at how fast their own children grew up, and be wise enough to treasure every moment of that grandbaby's existence ! (plus you know better in hindsight what things are really priority).  I've already "warned" all my friends that they better tell me lots of stories and show me lots of pictures, because that's what I'm gonna be doing when it's my turn.  :)

 

Some grandparents worry that they won't be the favorite grandparent .  . but I think that is a useless worry.  Grandchildren are like endless sponges that will soak up all the time that grandparents lavish on them.  I had no problem loving each and every one of my grandparents.  My life was uniquely enriched in different ways by each grand and great that I was blessed with.  My children were also blessed by having the love of grandparents AND great-grandparents for many years (see all the attached pictures of some of their first moments together).

 

I could write a book of blogs on all that my grandparents meant in my life and not begin to tell the story -- but one of the best practices as a Memory Keeper (photographer) is to take many, many pictures of your children with their grandparents.   These pictures are guaranteed to only go up in value with each passing year.

(Pops died suddenly when Rebekah was 8 weeks old -- not very long after this photo was taken)