Today I’ll be spending the afternoon with my granddaughter, who just turned 17, as we celebrate her birthday watching the movie Top Gun – Maverick, followed by dinner after. I have enjoyed sharing one on one time with my grandchildren for many years on each of their birthdays. The last birthday we do this is on their 18th. In three years, all my grandchildren will be 18 or older. Hard to believe how fast the years have passed.
I was thinking this morning of how special our grandchildren are to us, and how different from when our children are born. With our children, we learned with them as they grew. We made mistakes, we worried, we prayed and tried our best. Then one day, we were holding the child of our child in our arms. This little one became the responsibility of our child to raise. We were at a different stage of life and these little babies were ours to spoil and send back to the safety of their parents’ arms.
I’ve heard my children say many times: “That’s not the woman I grew up with.” And one day, they will hear the same thing. Life is a circle. I feel blessed to be part of a never-ending circle of life. As my grandchildren come of age, I no longer carry a picture album in my purse to show to everyone I meet. Times have changed. My grandchildren are getting married and having babies of their own. Now I hold great grandchildren in my arms. And when I do, I remember God telling Abraham He would make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. He has carried through on that promise, and I thank God I am part of those descendants, as are my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Carol Ann Erhardt, Author 