At the end of August my daughter and I spent a week in Southern California at my grandparent’s place. It was one of the best vacations I can remember. My grandparents are in their late 80s, and life is slower for them, which made the pace of our vacation perfect. After spending the previous 11 months in a mad rush to finish up my bachelor’s degree while working full-time, I needed to slow down and take it easy. So I chose to visit my grandparents for summer vacation. But there are other reasons, too…
Family History
My family has a rich history as immigrates from Romania years ago. Since I grew up in the U.S., I didn’t have a chance to really learn about my family’s heritage. My mother’s parents lived in Romania and died years ago, however my father’s father and his wife live in California. I didn’t grow up around them because they lived so far away, so I find I don’t know enough about my family’s history. The best part of my vacation is hearing stories about the war and family. Their own love story could be written in a romance novel.
Connecting the Generations
My daughter adores her great grandparents. Watching her interact with them brought countless smiles to my face. She didn’t care there was four generations between them, however she did need to learn how to slow down and face my grandma when she talked so great grandma could read her lips. When she hugged them good night in the evening, I thought my heart would explode with joy. Later, when I came out to visit with them, grandma told me that one hug was worth more than a million bucks.
Learning Respect for the Elderly
All the interaction between my daughter and her great grandparents turned into lessons of respect. My girl had to learn how to be courteous toward them, slow down, speak louder, and understand that elderly people move through life differently than she does. She learned that little acts of kindness, like a hug or picking up a fallen newspaper, made a huge difference. She needed to learn how to exercise compassion. Patience also became an important lesson of value as she had to wait for grandma as she maneuvered her walker through the house.
Grandparents are a storehouse of wealth when it comes to life lessons and history. As we get ready to celebrate Grandparents Day this weekend, when are you planning your next trip to visit grandma or grandpa?
