Grandparents

She’s been around her grandparents a lot lately. We visited one set last week, and are temporarily living with the other until our house is ready to move in to. Seeing her with her grandparents is like seeing her marinate in a pool of constant attention and love. She just soaks it up like a sponge: all the ooh-ing and ah-ing, eating all her favorite foods like fruit and noodles and pickles, getting to do her favorite things like dancing to music and running around outside. She got into singing karaoke with D’s mom, holding the microphone while wiggling her butt. She spent all of this morning “helping” my mom water the garden.

One of the best things about having a kid is seeing how much delight they give your parents. Growing up I’d feel this real sense of deep happiness if I got to share something good with my parents, like give them a free eye exam or take them to see the Boston Ballet do the Nutcracker, or bring them some food I knew they’d like. This is like that times a hundred. And it only gets better as she gets old enough to know them, to say their names and ask them to hold her hand or read to her, to copy whatever they say or do. If I suggest it, she’ll run over to give them a hug or kiss.

I never had this growing up, but it’s a wonderful and natural thing to see, the way she’s constantly so happy around people who love her, and the way she livens up their lives. And of course it’s all selfish in the end, because having extra sets of hands to watch her is like regaining a bit of our lives and sanity. We don’t feel so bad going out to eat or even taking a weekend trip.

I never would have thought we’d end up back in my hometown, but then I never would have imagined how wonderful it is to be around parents when you have kids of your own. We might not stay here forever, but I’m grateful God has led us here now.