Grandchildren are the Icing on the Cake

My dad always used to look at his grandchildren and say  "Here is our everlasting life". I guess he meant that we live on in our children and our children's children. He passed away at the relatively young age of 68 and never had the chance to see the next generation grow up. But he lives on in his descendants:  3 children, 9 grandchildren and one great grandchild, Nicholas named  after him.

Nicholas the younger was born 15 months ago. Becoming a Grandmother  was and still is, a profound experience for me. Gazing upon the offspring of your offspring is like having a glimpse into the future. You see how your genes have been passed on. We all instinctively look for signs of a family resemblance as did the countless generations who came before us. By recognizing their own and banding together, our ancestors survived a  hostile environment. We need to appreciate their struggles and realize that every one of them were able to live long enough to pass on their genes. Every one of us had a one in a trillion gazillion chance at being born at all. Our very existence is a miracle. And then, some of us are lucky enough to become grandparents.

Nicky (as we call him) visited his Grammie (as he calls me) this weekend. We played our usual games, such as taking a tour of the house and naming everything. Then I bounced him on my knee and sang old German nursery Rhymes that my own grandparents once sang to me.Then we played with the cats who were curious but cautious. Then we explored Grammie's closet and looked at all the shoes and purses. He also loves to rummage through my collection of beads and necklaces. He can't talk yet but understands most of what I am saying. He's like my silent partner, my miniature mime, my mini me. "what happens at Grammie's stays at Grammie's" I can make a complete fool of myself and he does not mind. He gets it! He plays along with the jokes and silly little tricks we invent just for the fun of it. It's pure magic!

It has been said that grandchildren are the reward for enduring the teen years of your children. I think it's heaven on earth and the icing on the cake.