memories of your grandparents

[PRF]

Spending time with them is simply the most valuable thing for them and you.. I have two grandsons aged 4 and 1.. I have a bond with the 4 year old since birth.. My grandfather taught me many values that my Dad was too busy working to, to teach himself, and I'll never forget.. I try to do the same with my grandchildren..

 

[ncnurseryman]

PRF. I agree 100%. That's why I don't understand why my grandparents didn't and parents don't. I try hard to not be someone who will look back one day with regrets. Or at least try to minimize them.

 

[yankeerider]

My mom's mother died before I was born, but my maternal grandfather was a heck of a guy. A staunch Catholic and a barber, he took care of things at the church and cut hair at the orphanage. He lived in the city and never drove a car, but would walk 10 miles to visit us on the edge of town. My best memory of him was teaching my twin sister and I how to roll down a hill! (arms stretched above your head, legs straight , rolling just like an axle with no wheels!).

My paternal grandfather died when my father was still a child, but I knew dad's stepfather as my Grampa. He was decorated in WWI for sending out an SOS when his ship was sunk by a German Uboat. He taught me morse code for my Boy Scout merit badge, taught me to build and fly kites, and many other things. I remember my father counting on him to lay out rafters. His personal proudest accomplishment was that he taught himself trigonometry, and I recall him halping me with it. He died when I was a college sophomore, and on his deathbed asked me to look after my grandmother, the love of his life. She lived to be 101, outliving both my mom and dad. I loved her stories of life the way it was in her youth in the 1920's.

I am blessed with two grandchildren (6 and 4) and a third one due in September. I have already introduced my 6 year old grandson to concepts of electricity and magnets, and recently taught him to drive my golf cart(with me as co-pilot, of course.) He loves to help his grandmother with stacking firewood, raking leaves, and other chores. Next on the list is taking him fishing for the first time!

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[ncnurseryman]

Great story Yankeerider. First time fishing will be a hoot for sure.

 

[DT86]

I grew up just a few miles from my grandparents farm. I spent weeks at a time there on summer break when I was big enough to tag along and actually be of use. Dad helped them too on weekends some but less and less it seems as I got old enough to fill in the gap.

Grandpaw was born in 1923, farmed his whole life and didn't have any hobbies really. He worked slow and steady, took a hour at lunch to read the paper and "let it settle" no matter how busy we were, never got in a rush and never got excited. (Except the one time he caught his pants on fire!)

He taught me a lot, though I didn't inherit his patience or calm nature. I developed a love for farming, fixing broke equipment and just being his side kick at a young age.

My Grandmother, his wife, never helped on the farm, at least not since I was alive anyway. She made sure to cook 3 meals a day, except on Sunday, when they ate lunch out after church and browsed through the weeks left overs for supper.

A good portion of what we farmed then, and to this day, was from her side of the family.

I'll be 30 next year, farming is the only serious job I've ever had and I owe it all to them.

 

[mark02tj]

Great stories here! THANKS to all for sharing!! So, I might as well jump in too....

My parents were both from the same town in W Va and my dad joined the Air Force in '54. The family was moved around a lot and I was born in TX in '62. We were transferred to Germany in '68 and stopped to see my grandparents before we left the states. Didn't see them again until we moved to Ohio in '72. So, for the first 10 years of my life, I'd only seen my grandparents twice. Once we moved to Ohio we were about 6 hours away so we went several times per year to see them. And once I started driving I'd go on my own as well.

My paternal grandparents lived "in town". Not much to do there except watch "The Price Is Right" with my grandpa. To this day, that show just doesn't seem right unless it's turned up to full volumne on the TV. LOL! I do remember going fishing with my grandpa one time. We didn't catch a thing but it was fun. And my grandmother would bake some great desserts including something called "Kolach" from Czechoslovakia. My dad's brother and his wife lived right next door in a 20x20 cinder block house that my grandpa built as a rental. They are in their late 70's now and still live in that same house.

My maternal grandparent lived "down in the hollar" on a 22 acre "farm". By the time I started visiting there wasn't much farming going on except for Grandma's vegetable garden. The barn had fallen down while we were in Germany. My grandpa mowed around the house with a 21" Toro and an old Gravely-L. For the bottom land field he used a '53 Farmall Cub with a sickle bar. I was never allowed to drive the Cub as a kid but brought it home (to hopefully restore) back in October of 2014. With all of that property, there was plenty to do! We'd shoot our guns, "explore", help in the garden and with mowing grass, etc. The place was heated with coal and in the winter my grandpa would come into our room and replenish the "Warm Morning" coal stove around 5:00 a.m.! We'd always complain about getting woken up, but appreciated that it would be warming up in the few minutes. Then we'd get up and eat Grandma's waffles with her syrup made from brown sugar and water!! GOOD STUFF! One interesting thing was that during the depression my grandpa lost his job because women would work for less. So Grandma got a job at the same place and then would come home and bake pies which Grandpa would sell door-to-door the next day.

I've been rambling on for too long and need to get back to work. When I check back in, I'll write a bit about my parents and their grandkids.

 

[Oaktree]

I never had any significant interaction with grandparents. My mother barely knew her parents (they split when she was a child) and was raised by her maternal grandmother. My father's mother died when I was just a toddler and my paternal grandfather spoke almost no English (despite having immigrated in his early 20s, never bothered to learn the language of his new home). I don't think he liked kids...he usually just ignored us when we were around.

My wife thinks this is beyond bizarre, but it wasn't until I was 10 or 11 before I discovered that old people could speak English. My grandfather, maternal grandmother and their circle of acquaintances/friends were all from the "old country", and didn't speak English very well. Until later when I met friends' grandparents, these were the only people I knew from that generation...hey, I was just a kid, what did I know?

 

[tcreeley]

Depends on the people involved. Myside- I never had grandparents. Wife's side it was a big extended family - kind and loving to all.
If your spouse gets along with your parents- that helps a relationship grow. It helps if your parents aren't trying to "fix" your kids - then you just stop visiting to protect your kids. Accepting, loving families produce good relationships. Respect is a two way street. It doesn't just flow up. Has to be spread evenly around. Just because grandparents are old, doesn't mean they are wise. Use you head.
Goodluck.

 

[Piston]

The simple fact that your asking this questions, means you and your wife will make excellent grandparents! All you need to do is care, the rest will fall into place.

I used to spend a couple weeks each summer with my grandparents in NH, and would go up every other weekend with my uncle to visit them. My grandfather never really knew what to do with me, he was funny that way, but I liked to play mini golf and eat ice cream, so sure enough, every single time I went there, he would take me mini golfing and buy me ice cream. I had a blast because he was doing something with me that I liked, and he didn't worry much about anything besides making sure I had fun.


My most lasting memory of my grandfather, was at that same golf course (it's still there today). He went to the counter to pay for the two of us, the price had gone up since the year before (I don't know how much, probably a dollar or something). He looked at me with a look of disgust and disappointment, he said "Matt, there's two kinds of people in this world, the SCREWERS, and the SCREWEES, you don't want o be the screwee".


I was probably 7 or 8 years old at that point. I've never forgotten my grandfathers "words of wisdom."

He lived alone on that mountain in nh for a long time. He stayed in that house through some pretty bad winters and took care of himself. I watched him pass this last winter, he finally gave in the day before his 96th birthday.

He left a very lasting impression on me, and I have so many memories of him.....all because he simply just plain CARED.

 

[Paddy]

Fawken,

I agree or at least that's what I'm counting on. I figure if you want to see your grandkids, have a fun place at the lake. Granddad get's to teach them to fish, row a boat/kayak and all the fun lake stuff.
Problem is so many kids are waiting to have kids. A recent new story on NPR discussed the topic of cheating your kids from ever really developing a relationship with the grandparents due to age. I was an empty nester mid 40's figuring I'd have many years of being with my grand kids.

I was lucky my grand father lived to be 108. He taught me wood working. He was driving until 105 and still pretty handy 'till close to the end.