As many of you know, we are expecting our first grandchild this summer. As many of you also know, this is a big event in the life of a family. Despite the many other things happening this summer (a new house for our daughter and son-in-law, my husband's first post-pandemic role in a musical, a trip to Maine for my other son and daughter-in-law, a vacation with friends, even a book out on submission), all of our eyes are fixed on the due date, which recently shifted from August 11th to July 21st! All we know so far is that the baby is a boy and that maybe he is as anxious to meet us as we are to meet him!
Interesting things happen when you're anticipating the birth of your first grandchild. You look back at his father's baby book and relive the tumultuous days leading up to his birth, as well as the precious newborn days that followed. You linger over all the social media posts about newborns and babies. Your social media feed pops up ads for all kinds of baby gear and clothes (many of which you order or pin for future gifts). You look at yourself in the mirror and think about how different you look and feel than the way you saw your own grandmothers. But, most of all, you have this nearly overpowering feeling that wells up inside you every time you think of that little life. And you know that from now on, your world is going to revolve around him and all the other grandchildren who come after him.
I ran into my daughter's third grade teacher at the grocery store last week. We stopped to chat a few minutes, and when she asked how my kids were, I told her about the upcoming arrival of our first grandchild. Tears filled her eyes as she told me her first grandchild had just graduated from high school and his grad party was that day. She kind of laughed and said, "I don't know why I'm so emotional about it, but I am." Then she touched my arm and said, "Enjoy it. It goes so fast." I instantly remembered being in that very same grocery store nearly three decades ago with my three young children and having more than one older women tell me that very same thing. I took it to heart then, and I'm taking it to heart now.
I recently listened to the audiobook of My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman. There is a passage in the book that stopped me in my tracks:
"Having a grandmother is like having an army. This is a grandchild's ultimate privilege: knowing that someone is on your side, always, whatever the details. Even when you are wrong. Especially then, in fact. A grandmother is both a sword and a shield."
That is my promise to our first grandson and each grandchild who comes after him: I will always be on your side. No matter what. You can count on me.
I'm making a promise to myself, too: I will savor every moment of being a grandmother because life has already taught me how fast it all goes.
