Great grandparents

According to Wikipedia, "National Grandparents Day is a secular holiday celebrated originating in the United States in 1978 and now officially recognized in a number of countries on various days of the year."  It always falls on the first Sunday after Labor Day and is meant to "...to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer".

To us, Grandparents Day means paying tribute to the people in our children's lives who:

Come and take care of them for a week while their baby's in the hospital giving birth to her new baby,

take wonderful pictures of them with your fabulous camera to give them happy memories of being little,

delight in their every last word and encourage a tremendous love of reading,

drive fours hours without blinking an eye every time they get sick to love on them and make them peal with laughter,

push them in a swing until their arms get tired, take them boat riding, and pretend to drink their "coffee",

and get in the car for a road trip at the age of 92 just to smile as they watch their only great-grandchildren coo and play.

We are just so very thankful for the ways that all of the grandparents in our lives love us and our children unconditionally.  I pray that my daughters will one day develop the kind of relationship with them that I had with my Mammaw.  I miss her so much today that my heart aches, and I'd give anything to hear her voice or get one of her letters in the mail.  Her love shaped my life in such a positive way and I'm eternally grateful for the person she was and the way she lived her life. 

I can't wait to introduce Hannah to my Pappaw soon -- I think she looks a little bit like Mammaw, and I know that will touch and delight him to no end.  Happy Grandparent's Day!