“You do not really
understand something
unless you can explain it
to your grandmother.” 
Albert Einstein

British scholar Richard Garnett reminded us of a basic truism in life: “Love is the greatest gift one generation can leave to another.” My wife, Kathy, who is the mother of our three sons and grandmother to five beautiful grandchildren, understands this statement well. Since May 1986, Kathy has gifted our three sons with unconditional love. Beginning in October 2014, she has blessed our grandkids, now five of them, with the same level of love and affection. 

Kathy and I are by no means old. We are, however, getting older. We are constantly reminded of this fact by aching muscles, hearing challenges, occasional forgetfulness, and the inability to do many of the physical activities we once enjoyed with ease. While some complain about getting older, Kathy and I recognize what Mary H. Waldrip, a journalist from Georgia, pointed out when she wrote, “Grandchildren are God’s way of compensating us for growing old.” 

Kathy and I are both retired from our professional careers. Retirement provides us with the gift of time — time to do whatever we choose to do. Some retired folks join book clubs or service organizations. Others play golf or travel the world. Author J. R. R. Tolkien addressed this issue with a statement which is both obvious and challenging. He wrote, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

Since long before her retirement, Kathy has known exactly what she wanted to do with her time during her retirement years, and she’s been doing it for almost eleven years now. In the years before the grandkids started preschool, Kathy has cared for them in our home while their parents worked as professional educators. What a blessing this has been for my two older sons and their wives. What a blessing this has been for our five grandchildren. What a blessing this has been for Kathy! More so than at any point in her professional career, Kathy now experiences a sense of purpose for what she’s doing, as well as a tremendous love for this ministry to which she has been called. She adores our five grandchildren, and they adore their “Mama.” 

Of course, just as Kathy made a concerted effort to attend every football, soccer, basketball, and baseball game in which our three sons competed in their younger days, she also does her best to get to games and activities in which the grandkids are involved. Last week, Kathy attended a “States” presentations by the second grade students at Emily’s school. Emily chose to do her report on the State of Vermont. (Her Dad admitted that when he had done his state report in fourth grade, he chose Rhode Island, believing that such a small state would require less work!) The photo above leaves no question about how much Emily appreciated Mama’s presence at the event.

Being a grandparent is one of the greatest joys in Kathy’s life — and in mine. Author Regina Brett hopes the younger generation appreciates the gift of their grandparents. She wrote these words of encouragement to them: “If you’re lucky enough to still have grandparents, cherish them and celebrate them while you can.”