BellaOnline Forums Family Work & Family Happy Mother's Day, do you know your grandparents?

My new article Grandparents Precious Links to Our Past Grandparents are more than your parents and grandparents to your children, they are precious links to our past. My advice is to take measures to help your children spend time and bond with grandparents. To my way of thinking, Mother's Day and National Grandparents Day go together like peanut butter and jelly.

I have written about grandparents before but much has changed. We are once more becoming two and threee generation families in one household.

Do (or did) you know your grandparents? I did not, now that I am older, I really wish I had. It think it would have told me so much more about myself. How do you stay in contact with your grandparents?

I still have a maternal grandfather and a paternal grandmother who are living. My children have known three great grandparents and they have all of their grandparents.

My grandparents are just starting to get old and I live away from them. I try to call more frequently now but it is difficult to have a good conversation on the phone. I am anxious to visit more often so I can just sit and gleam their wisdom and learn about our family's past.

My grandparents will both be 97 this year. My grandmother still lives alone, until recently went to work three times a week in downtown Chicago. My grandfather lives independently in an assisted living center. He spends his time going through his papers and writing a book about his life.

Hi Vannie,

Great article! I could not agree more that grandparents are such a valuable part of a family.

Both of my paternal grandparents died with 5 months of each other, when I was 5, so I never really got to know them. Unfortunately, my Mother was not crazy about her MIL so we had no photos and the only time I heard about my grandmother was when she saw something in me that reminded her of her MIL. Needless to say those comments were not flattering to either me or my grandmother! But, being the black sheep of the family, I treasured those comments and never forgot them because they were my only link to a grandmother that I probably was a lot like, but never got to know.

My maternal grandparents lived close to us and we spent a lot of time with them. They both passed when I was in my 20's, but by that time I had spent so much time listening to their stories that I got a great sense of my family from them.

The generations in my family were unusually long, my grandfather was 31 when his oldest child (Mom) was born, and my Mother was 37 when her oldest, (me) was born. So my Grandpa would tell me stories of his life from the turn of the 20th century! I am currently writing my memories so that my grandchildren will be able to share in the family history.

Lisa, your children (and you) are so lucky. How wonderful it must be to know your grandparents. My maternal grands died when I was a baby, my paternal I never knew. My step-dad died when he had only young three grands. My mom lived to see many grandchildren, I remember how grateful she was. We used to have a yearly big family gathering so she could watch the kids run around the park and have fun.

I cannot tell you how awesome these statements are to me Indeed there is long life in your family.

Thanks for kind words Helen.

I recall my mom felt the same about her MIL. My parents divorced when I was very young. You know, parents don't always get that little ones hear and often do not forget.

I think it is great that you had your maternal grandparents until you were in your 20's they were able to watch you grow up. I used to revel in stories told by older relatives, I think they can do much to shape your thoughts about life. It's super that you are writing your memories to pass down.