An Expectant Grandmother

jane: Betsey, I can hardly believe that in two months I'm going to be a grandmother! I'm so over the moon, I'm beside myself. Everyone tells me there's nothing like it: that I won't be able to tear myself away from that new little one, that the love I'll feel will be fierce, that the experience will be pure bliss. And that my job will be to spoil, spoil, spoil. Yesss!

This imminent adventure has inspired me to reflect on my grandparents. I had wonderful, rich relationships with them, unlike Rich, who never had that opportunity. Rich's Italian grandma lived far away and didn't speak English well. He didn't visit his maternal grandpa. And his paternal grandparents passed away while he was a little guy. Although my grandfathers died when I was a young adult, my Nana lived until my daughters, Sarah and Emily, were five and three. And my Grandma Johnson passed when they were ten and seven. So both my grandmothers got to enjoy being great-grandmas. What a gift!

Surrounded by Love: Newborn Sarah and I are flanked by my mom and two grandmothers.

How about you, Betsey? Were you close to your grandparents?

betsey: Yes. I never knew my paternal grandparents, who both passed away when I was quite young. But I adored my mom’s parents. They lived near us until I was five, then moved to New York for my grandpa’s work. They had a magic house on a golf course. It always smelled like bread – my primitive back-of-brain can still conjure up the fragrance – but my grandma was decidedly not the one baking. She always had “The Help.” There was candy in dishes and a hammock they would swing me in and once, memorably, my “funny uncle” gave me a can to open and a cloth snake popped out! Oh . . . and they had one of the first color TVs, since my grandfather was a sales manager for Zenith.

Three Generations: There's my Nana on the right!

jane: My grandparents lived within an hour's distance of my home, so almost every other weekend we trekked to visit one set or the other. In summer, I used to “vacation” at Nana's house (I think when my mom needed a break). I remember Nana always painted her toenails vivid red; she'd wiggle them at me and say in her sweet southern drawl, “Don't I have nice feet?” She did! Nana treated me like a princess. I slept in her big bed, we made apple pies together (and I got to play with the leftover dough), we fed the birds and squirrels, we strolled to the local Ben Franklin store to buy me toys. Plus Nana sewed me the nicest Barbie dresses. My Barbie was one of the best dressed on my block!

Beautiful Manhattan: home of Betsey's maternal grandparents.

betsey: Those overnights are really, really special. I think I’ve already shared with you stories of our trips to Manhattan to visit my grandparents. They lived in a co-op building on the Upper East Side on 87^th not far from the park. We actually went and looked at it several years ago when we were staying up that way. I’ll never forget my grandma, who was a true grande dame, taking me out to lunch, to FAO Schwarz, the great toy store, even to her neighborhood grocery store. My sister and I slept in a foldout couch in what I now think was a tiny maid’s room. In those pre-AC days the window was open, it was hot, and the sounds of the “city that never sleeps” came drifting up to the fifth floor.

jane: I've always mourned the fact our parents live out of state. So although we visited as often as we could when the girls were growing up (and they would, too), geographically they simply weren't able to be the same consistent presence in my children's lives as I had in mine. Sarah and Emily's grandmas and grandpas, unfortunately, weren't there for every piano recital, ice skating event, Sunday-school program, or school band concert. That always saddened me.

betsey: That bears out what has been a growing conviction of mine: family should live near each other. As you know, Jane, Fritz’s mom lived an hour from us and so, actually, did my parents early on. So Amanda got lots of grandparent time when she was quite young. Then later after Mom moved to Cape Cod we had a built-in vacation place. But I love it that Amanda and Stuart are just minutes away.

jane: While I'm terribly excited about becoming Nana, I've experienced a strange melancholy, too. I tried to explain this to Rich; he gave me a look, as though to say, What's wrong with you? I told him, Grandparents are the best thing going when grandchildren are young. But then they become teens – and, well, you can become that elderly person they have to spend time with before they can go on with their friends, their activities. Although I never felt that way about mine, I know people who acted as though they did. Becoming a grandparent makes one more aware of the passing of time, the passing of the baton, the passing of generations. Do you think I'm nuts?

betsey: No, I totally can see that. But I think you need to remember the legacy you’re handing down to that grandbaby when she’s young. And to tell you the truth, I would have given anything to have had my grandma when I was a teen. She passed away when I was ten and honestly, I suspect she might have helped me through a rough adolescence.

Ready to Pop: Sarah with the  baby dresses I'm already buying!

jane: Thanks, Betsey, I needed that! I'm pumped about discovering the ways God will use me to encourage my daughter and son-in-law in the roller-coaster ride of parenting. And the opportunities he'll provide for me to flesh out his unconditional, irrational, outrageous love in my grandchild's life. Bring it on!