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Over the River and Through the Woods
As a grandmother of fifteen grandchildren, I’ve learned how important it is to stay closely connected with them. Some of them live close by and I can drive to their homes in just ten minutes. Some of them live across the country; visiting takes hours in a plane and another hour in the car. But it doesn’t really matter where they live because I’ve learned keeping close is just a matter of making it a priority. Send a Red-Letter Day Let me start with the grandchildren who live far away. I don’t want them to ever forget us, so I make sure I send each of them a letter about twice a month and sometimes more often. I know this is working because my daughter-in-law Jenica told me that her then two-year old, Silas, used to watch for the mail truck and ask if Grammy was inside there. Another time Jenica emailed and told me: “Just one day after receiving a letter from you, Silas was bounding out to the mail box saying, ‘I know Grammy is going to have a letter for me.’” Jenica said she had just started into the speech, “Now, you can’t expect a letter from Grammy every day,” when to her surprise there was another letter from Grammy to Silas. The beaming Silas said, “I told you Mom.” Of course, now I know I will never stop sending letters. It appears they are way too important. I use stationery with dinosaurs on it, and I try to tuck a little something inside the letters. A stick of gum, special character band-aids, or a sheet of stickers are all good choices. Creative Messages I’ve also sent a puzzle letter. The puzzle is in pieces in the envelope, but when it’s put together, there is a message written on the back. Of course, the parents appreciate it when their children get something that will keep them busy for a few minutes. Try printing a picture of the you and your grandchild taken on their last visit on regular 8 ½ x 11-inch paper, and then fold it into a small card. Write a message inside and mail—it’s sure to bring a smile to your grandchild’s face. Whether a grandchild lives close or far away, this reinforces the time you’ve spent together. I also send pictures as postcards. I will send 4×6-inch pictures of our garden, our house or of the grandchildren when they were babies. Just stamp it and write on the back—instant post card. Speaking of post cards, anytime I go on a trip, I buy fifteen postcards of the area we are visiting and send them off to the grandchildren. My daughter Lisa said that when her triplets were three years old they would carry those postcards around with them all day. When she checked on them after they had gone to bed for the night, she would find a somewhat crumpled post card clutched in their hand. With computers and telephones, we sometimes forget the benefit of a letter that arrives in an envelope that can be read over and over, and even carried around like a favorite stuffed animal or blankie. I’m yet to meet a grandchild that preferred a phone call to a letter in the mail, especially if there is a stick of gum inside, too. A Home Away from Home One time my husband and I picked up my daughter Lori’s three children (ages two, four, and six). It had been a rough day for her, and sensing she and her husband needed a little alone time, we took all three children to the local mall. As soon as we buckled two-year-old Josh into the car seat he said, “Grammy’s house!” All the way to the mall, he asked if we were going to Grammy’s house. Once inside the mall, we went to the food court to have an ice cream cone, and even while eating the ice cream cone, Josh said, “Grammy’s house? Go Grammy’s house.” I know we’re succeeding when my daughter Lori tells me that Josh asks every day to go to Grammy’s house. It doesn’t take much for them to know they can find a warm hug and an enjoyable stay whenever they’re there. LDS Living Magazine
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Today's date: March 19, 2010
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