Grand-daughter
While playing with my grand daughter I realized she looked just like my wife as a toddler. I also realized she acted a lot like my son at that age also. I remember well the age of toddlers, they are barely talking, but intently thinking and always trying to communicate. they are so sweet, loving and forgiving. If only this could last a lifetime.
I often encourage my Children to take the time to enjoy their children while they are toddlers. It's a special time, which is short and will never come again.
They don't see it... they look at me with this far away look in their eyes.
The lack of sleep and lack of privacy is wearing on them, and the chronic fatigue makes it more difficult to see the silver lining.
They have a luxury I didn't as my parents were an ocean away, like my wife's parents, so we nuked it up and powered through it, with the help of our friends an a live in sitter. We provided food and housing and she provided childcare respite for my wife.
I think she got the better deal, but the respite was important.
Now we provide the respite for our children and we are seemingly energetic to an extreme. Grandchildren are a gift from God in many ways, as they give you such motivation to exercise, eat right and try your best to be here when they graduate.
My wife and I have both lost a few pounds and now exercise regularly by taking the baby for morning walks, swimming and on outings about town.
Covid made us sedentary and solitary, but a grand baby forces you to rejoin the world, because a toddler shouldn't be stuck in the house.
Disease be damned, the child needs to see the world.
I did it, my children did it, so to should she.
Thje shopping mall with a huge assortment of people, the zoo, the beach to name a few.
All should be experienced and enjoyed.
But not just by the child, my joy also is apparent.
I love the world I live in and my city makes me proud.
The people, the buildings, the parks, the beach and our wonderful zoo and museums.
So much to stimulate a young brain and an old brain too.
I have read that grand parents live longer than non-grand parents, and I can understand why.
We are not sitting around waiting to die. we are out and about the town, enjoying life and our surroundings not through our eyes, but new eyes too, new eyes which constantly see things we missed and help us enjoy the old things a new.
In this way, the newly born bring life to the old, and the old protect the young breath of the newly born. The old help assure the new born live to maturity and the young give the old reason to reach further into their maturity. One hand washes the other, each nurtures the other and helps the other live a more full, fun and adventurous life.
It's a beautiful dance of symbiosis, which helps insure the preservation of the species and brings joy to the young, who enjoy the love of the elderly, and joy to the elderly, who enjoy the love of the young. Both appreciate and nurture the other.
This is a repetitive dance, which carries on for generations, as the grandparents teach it to their children and their grandchilden by example. And they in turn will teach it to their children and grandchildren by example. And so it continues, perhaps into perpetuity, or at least until the end of time.