16 March 2006

What are grandparents good for?


Just a little closer should make it easier ...
This week we have had my parents visit our home. They live over 800km (500 miles) away and organise to visit us about twice a year.
The children eagerly look forward to their visits. On the first day they arrived Peter was the first to notice them coming through the back gate and he rushed inside screaming, "They're here! They're here!"
The first day is always the hardest with each of the children vying for attention, and trying to show six months worth of interesting things in the space of about 10 minutes.
Today was my parents last day before heading home and the children had arranged with Grandpa to have a frisbee competition. We didn't actually have frisbees, so plastic plates were to be used and the target was one of those ever versatile playground bubbles.
In this photo Dad is trying to gain a little advantage by getting closer to the target before throwing. It didn't work.
Grandparents are a very important part of the children's lives. It provides a link to the past and the present, helping each child determine that he is part of a chain stretching generations back to Adam and Eve.
Peter mentioned to me tonight that Grandpa's dad is pretty lucky.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because he is over 90 years old."
Peter, like many children, can see what many of us forget. Life is a gift to be enjoyed and treasured. Every extra day of life is a reason for joy.

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