GRANDCHILDREN

A whole new world opens up when your grandchildren are born. I mean it was very exciting when your children were born but you yourself were so young ( in my case 24), you weren’t long into married life, you were still not over the partying stage… it was in fact quite overwhelming. Now comes the time when your children have grown up, they are married and along come their children… and this is the important thing… “their” children. Of course ultimately you are definitely responsible for all of them but at least you know that the day to day care is not on you. You can call your grandchildren, play with them and when they cry send them back to their mother. You also have licence to pamper them, spoil them and basically have a good time with them. Though I must say here that I was not one of those over doting grandmothers who feel the kids can do no wrong… I was strict about what was right and what was wrong- less than what I was with my kids I must admit but they knew their boundaries. I am blessed to have 6 grandchildren- 3 girls and 3 boys (what excellent planning!!) the eldest who is nearly 16 and the youngest is just over 1 year…what joy!!!

Grandkids love you unconditionally because they know it is vice versa. Sometimes the things they very unknowingly say brings tears to my eyes. Siya, my eldest often just comes to my room to just ‘chat’ with me because she feels I am fun to talk to.. her words not mine. One day I was playing table tennis with Vivaan in his play room, half of which his mother has commandeered for her showroom and we were told that she had some clients coming. I asked Vivaan if we should stop playing but he coolly said there was no problem continuing as these clients could see what a ‘cool’ grandma he had!!! High praise indeed!! Then we have my daughters daughter Alia who is 7 who happily rings me up saying she is craving for mangoes or strawberries ( especially when they are out of season)… now if someone asks me for anything I will move heaven and earth to procure these items for them. Now Alias dadi who would also move heaven and earth for her … I mean all grandmoms are the same after all… also tries to get them but Alia tells her quite blithely not to bother as the ones ‘her nani’ gets are better….now I would like to dig myself a hole and jump into it when I hear things like this!!! I mean… her poor dadi must be cursing me but as they say… out of the mouths of children….

Ayaan who is 13 has suddenly turned from Dennis the Menace to a ‘cool dude’… he is the copy of his father and is going to have a line of girlfriends in the near future. My two youngest are our babies and since they live across the road often just pop over whenever I am free or more importantly whenever they are free. Children nowadays have so many different activities ranging from gym to painting to music to sports.. they even have one for mental conditioning whatever that is!

Grandchildren bring a whole new level of love into your life and I treasure each and every moment I spend with them. I’ve seen that as they get older they become aware that I am also getting older so they automatically walk a bit slower next to me, don’t let me carry any bags and take my hand if the road is bumpy. Even if I don’t need help I gladly take it just so that I can be closer to them. I am truly blessed!