Memory Monday: Grandmothers, Mothers, and Daughters

Four generations of the women in my family

GRANDMOTHERS, MOTHERS, AND DAUGHTERS

In the picture above, there are two grandmothers, three mothers, and a daughter (there’s also a son, but right now, I’m dealing with the female side of my family). I have been blessed to have a wonderful mother and grandmother. From both of them, I have learned many valuable life lessons—about being a daughter, a wife, and now a grandmother.

That’s right. I’m now a grandmother! My daughter and her husband have their little two-year-old in their home. Oh, how I wish my mother and grandmother were still here and we could have a five generation picture. But that is not to be—just like I can’t do or undo all the things I did or didn’t do as a mother. I can just go from here and do the best I can. I can help my daughter when I can just like my mother helped me, babysit my sweet little one, teach her things that I wish I’d had the knowledge or maturity to do when my children were growing up. It’s nothing major, just hundreds of little things that I’ve come to realize that I had not done with my children or didn’t do as well as I could have. (I’ve already collected lots of thing to help me with this, Wee Sing CDs—my children always listened to the cassettes , children’s books on American History—she’s never too young to learn about the USA, and the School House Rocks CD—my children watched the original shows).

I think grandmotherhood is a blessed time of helping the next generation (whether it’s my daughter’s generation or my granddaughter’s) with things I wish I had done many years ago. I hope that I use the lessons I learned from my mother, especially letting my granddaughter know how much she is loved and how valuable she is to us and to God.

I’m sure there’s a lot more things I could say about this wonderful place I’m finding myself, but I’ll finish with—I LOVE being Grandmommy (the name my granddaughter has given me and I love it!!!!).