I knew it would be wonderful being a grandma, but it’s been even better than I imagined. There are three of them: Elijah now 7, Jacob who turned 5 yesterday and little Benjamin who is 3. It’s like everyone says–grandparents get the rewards of parenting with very few of the problems. There isn’t the same sense of responsibility I felt when I was raising my own two. I think I believed back then that if I made too many mistakes I would ruin their lives forever and while they may find some truth in that, I don’t feel that way as a grandma. Everything seems easier and less stressful. So we spill stuff on the floor, so there is a bit of a temper tantrum, so I said or did the wrong thing. Now it seems like it’s not so important. There is always a next time. I just love them so much and each one is a little gem with a unique personality and unique abilities. They are an endless source of joy. I remember the part in Beverly Cleary’s book, Ribsy, where the little old lady who fed him for a few months had her friends in for the monthly meeting in which they took turns telling about their grandchildren; a little like show and tell in first grade. Each one secretly thought the other’s sharing was silly and that no one held a candle to their own grandkid stories. Well I’m there. Other sticky dirty little kids are just that, but MY grandkids are stellar just like Josh and Sara were in my eyes when they were little. They literally glowed to me and now my three little grandsons do too. It’s a good thing–a very good thing.