There is no better source for personal energy than having Grandkids around. We have seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. My daughter’s kids used to live near us so we saw them often. My son’s kids live a number of states away so we don’t see them often enough.
My son’s kids have all flown out by themselves for a week alone with us away from their parents and their siblings. The last of his four is on the airplane on her way here as I write this at the airport. She is eleven years old.
Hanging around with an eleven year old for a week will be fun. It can also be exhausting for grandparents who are not physically equipped to handle it. Fortunately, Edie and I are both in good condition to take her all over the place. Will we be worn out at the end of the week? Probably. But it will be fun, and the fact that we have the energy to do things and go places will make it much more fun for her as well as for us. We plan to go to the U.S. Capitol, to Mount Vernon, to the Spy Museum, to the massive underground caverns in Luray, Virginia, to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia (maybe), to the Peter Pan show at the 360 Degree Theater, to a hands on Science Museum for kids, and a whole bunch of other places. All that and more, plus the swimming pool in the late afternoons after we get home from our daily adventures. We wouldn’t be able to share those things with her if we didn’t have the vital energy to constantly be on the move with her.
Grandkids can be one of the great pleasures in life and it’s important to have the energy to enjoy them. They like to be active. Sure they play video games and watch television, and do other passive things, but they also like to “do things and go places” that they don’t do when they are home.
The house is ready. We are ready. The plane has landed. Come on, girl, let’s enjoy the week!
Thanks for letting me share that and thank you for reading it.