Grandparents
Yesterday, I heard a great-grandparent (Kendra, you remember Elna, right?) giving advice on (of all things) how to handle the increasing physical temptations that Wes and Lizzie will now face as they try to honor God in their relationship now that they're engaged (to some of you who read this blog that will sound archaic, but yes, in Christian circles that standard still rings true). She thought it would be wise for Lizzie to move to Canada until the wedding day.
Anyway, I started thinking about my grandparents.
Both my maternal and fraternal grandparents were excellent grandparents.
On my mom's side (Mama Jeannie and Pappy) my grandfather was a highly successful businessman who considered his grandchildren his hobby. He even rented out the entire wing of a hotel and took the entire brood on a vacation to the Gulf of Mexico each summer. We were always spending the night at their house, going out to dinner with them, and having them at all our activities.
On my dad's side (Nana and Grandaddy) they owned a tax business that gave them the resources to get the family together for all sorts of stuff. Nana loved fishing and Grandaddy loved napping so they got a cabin on a river and we spent lots of holidays/weekends fishing and water skiing.
You can tell a lot about parents from their offspring. My dad's parents must've been more "fun" (my mom's side of the family was comparatively staid) with a cast of characters that drank beer and actually wrote songs weekly on...get this...ukeleles. We never really put together that my uncles were tanked and driving a boat pulling children at top speed as we were precariously perched on inner tubes...when you think about it, most of the best times in your life have involved some sort of life risk/reward. My mom's side had daughters who married Naval Academy graduates and cheerleaders and student leaders and the rebellious child was the anomoly.
I guess what I'm getting at is that grandparents have amazing influence. I was blessed in that my memories involve birthday cards with cash falling out of them, getting up early to get doughnuts, or a Christmas Eve with stockings and chaos, or waking up to a small home that authentically smelled like what Cracker Barrel tries to recreate...you get the idea. Those time investments they put into my life gave them a platform of trust to which I would respond.
They gave me insights on business (both my grandparents stopped down business habits whenever I came into a room--and I had no idea that most people couldn't just stroll past a series of secretaries and assistants right into the VP's office), politics (although the staunch Alabama Democratic Party leanings evaporated with the rise of Reaganism), racism (Alabama...guess...we had much to overcome), college (there were only two to choose from, really), sports (well, football, anyway) and sometimes all of those combined into one big conversation...really on the whole of life. Except one.
They never really talked about a true spiritual life. Or frankly, modeled one. There was a polite nod to church and religion especially at holidays, but no one ever talked about how their religious beliefs affected their moment by moment existence.
Grandparents have amazing influence...and deservedly so. They've lived long enough to glean wisdom from experiences that they understand that 10 bucks in a birthday card is like a million to an 8 year old, that banana splits for lunch won't kill anybody, and that watching a horribly played ball game by kids can be the best use of your time on any given evening.
They tend to major in the majors...and when they use their powers for good and not evil they can affect generations. I wish our society raised grandparenting to nobility like others do...and I wish our grandparents lived out that authentic spirituality enough to earn that nobility...
Yesterday, I heard a great-grandparent (Kendra, you remember Elna, right?) giving advice on (of all things) how to handle the increasing physical temptations that Wes and Lizzie will now face as they try to honor God in their relationship now that they're engaged (to some of you who read this blog that will sound archaic, but yes, in Christian circles that standard still rings true). She thought it would be wise for Lizzie to move to Canada until the wedding day.
Anyway, I started thinking about my grandparents.
Both my maternal and fraternal grandparents were excellent grandparents.
On my mom's side (Mama Jeannie and Pappy) my grandfather was a highly successful businessman who considered his grandchildren his hobby. He even rented out the entire wing of a hotel and took the entire brood on a vacation to the Gulf of Mexico each summer. We were always spending the night at their house, going out to dinner with them, and having them at all our activities.
On my dad's side (Nana and Grandaddy) they owned a tax business that gave them the resources to get the family together for all sorts of stuff. Nana loved fishing and Grandaddy loved napping so they got a cabin on a river and we spent lots of holidays/weekends fishing and water skiing.
You can tell a lot about parents from their offspring. My dad's parents must've been more "fun" (my mom's side of the family was comparatively staid) with a cast of characters that drank beer and actually wrote songs weekly on...get this...ukeleles. We never really put together that my uncles were tanked and driving a boat pulling children at top speed as we were precariously perched on inner tubes...when you think about it, most of the best times in your life have involved some sort of life risk/reward. My mom's side had daughters who married Naval Academy graduates and cheerleaders and student leaders and the rebellious child was the anomoly.
I guess what I'm getting at is that grandparents have amazing influence. I was blessed in that my memories involve birthday cards with cash falling out of them, getting up early to get doughnuts, or a Christmas Eve with stockings and chaos, or waking up to a small home that authentically smelled like what Cracker Barrel tries to recreate...you get the idea. Those time investments they put into my life gave them a platform of trust to which I would respond.
They gave me insights on business (both my grandparents stopped down business habits whenever I came into a room--and I had no idea that most people couldn't just stroll past a series of secretaries and assistants right into the VP's office), politics (although the staunch Alabama Democratic Party leanings evaporated with the rise of Reaganism), racism (Alabama...guess...we had much to overcome), college (there were only two to choose from, really), sports (well, football, anyway) and sometimes all of those combined into one big conversation...really on the whole of life. Except one.
They never really talked about a true spiritual life. Or frankly, modeled one. There was a polite nod to church and religion especially at holidays, but no one ever talked about how their religious beliefs affected their moment by moment existence.
Grandparents have amazing influence...and deservedly so. They've lived long enough to glean wisdom from experiences that they understand that 10 bucks in a birthday card is like a million to an 8 year old, that banana splits for lunch won't kill anybody, and that watching a horribly played ball game by kids can be the best use of your time on any given evening.
They tend to major in the majors...and when they use their powers for good and not evil they can affect generations. I wish our society raised grandparenting to nobility like others do...and I wish our grandparents lived out that authentic spirituality enough to earn that nobility...
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