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uthor's Note: Just before the birth of my first grandchild, I wanted to include him in a WWII story, a legacy of my wife's family. This account was written from his perspective, and, of course, the story is true. The train station in Sparta, Wisconsin was a sad place that spring morning of 1943. Training was over, so soldiers who had their families still with them took their wives and children to the station to send them home. After the Louisiana Maneuvers, then cold weather training in Wisconsin, the Second Infantry Division finally had its orders to Europe. These soldiers would be boarding troop ships headed for Ireland and final staging. Their ultimate goal: Join with others to defeat the rascal Hitler on his own soil. Paw Paw carried my great-aunt Kay onto the train while my great-grandmother Nana took her seat. As my great-grandfather gently placed his infant daughter into the arms of his wife, I can only imagine the emotion that came over them. Before he kissed them g...

20th century, Ladies in Occidental countries were no longer, mere house-wives, They were working women, by and large, Oriental women lagged behind by nearly a century; now the gap is closing due to literacy among women. The homely house wife, was an asset in the family; But she had no independent identity of her own. The change in society is irreversible, It may overshoot the goal, Soon we may have house-husbands in the homes, But, let us now bask in the memory of good old days. She When she got married 41 years ago, Her mother guided her: 'The path to a man's heart is through his belly, Give him good food three times a day, He will be grateful to God for you, daily, as many times.' What more a wife can ask for! In the hindsight, now I wish, If she has added, 'But remember, a man does not live by bread alone, He needs frequent hugging,expects to extrapolate it as well.' Me My bookish knowledge, depended heavily on two c...

he best part of being a grandparent perhaps is that you get to visit the kids when they are smiling, and the parents have to deal with them all the time, change their diapers, and take care of all the other nonsense. You get the best of all worlds. It's fun to watch the grandkids run around and play, and reminisce about what it was like to be young, or how you raised your own kids. Having grandkids visit is fun, raising grandkids can be quite a chore, perhaps you are getting too old for that. If you are, you certainly wouldn't be the first person to say so. Secondly, no parent is perfect, and you probably weren't either, but you did learn eventually from your mistakes. Still, it's hard when your grandkids' parents are making mistakes and you have to sit and watch all of this go on. It might make you depressed knowing that you can't do anything about it, or eventually make you depressed because the kids have all that youthful energy, and it just makes you feel...

ven-year-old girl said about her grandmother: "She's old on the outside but she acts like she's young on the inside." She hit the nail on the head! Most of us older adults remain active today with some of us still working into our seventies. Even those of us who retire during our sixties may spend as much as one-third of our lives after retirement with our families sometimes encompassing even five generations. By the middle of this century as the "baby boomers" are the elderly, the entire United States will resemble present-day Florida in the proportion of the population composed of older adults. In 1790 less than two percent of the population was over 65. In l990 that figure was twelve percent; by 2030 it will be over twenty percent. Living longer means that more of us now lead three lives: first as children, second as adults with careers and most likely as parents, and third as retirees from careers - and for most of us as grandparents. During each ...

aration that one parent needs to move in with their own parents in order to make financial ends meet. What happens when the grandparents become overly involved in parenting the grandchildren during visitation? Let's take a look at Joe and Sarah. Joe left the marital residence and moved in with his parents. Joe and Sarah found some common parenting ground and established rules for both parents to follow with their children. The problem: Joe's parents have additional rules in their household. Some are contradictory to the ones that Joe and Sarah have come up with in their co-parenting agreement. When the children become confused by the contradictory rules, they begin to act out. Joe, feeling like he is caught between a rock and a hard place (his parent's rules and the co parent agreement) doesn't know what to do but tries his best. When his best fails, his parents step in and take over the parenting role leaving Joe to look powerless in his children's eyes. W...

It's crazy to think back about some of my past experiences. Some of them don't even feel real anymore, except for the fact that they are safely tucked away in my long term memory bank. I will probably even remember them when I am old and gray, and at that point they will seem like ancient history. Maybe even of someone else's life. Will I even be able to recognize that girl that lived those moments and experienced those tidbits of time? For now I will document them, and then maybe later they will seem more believable. Starting with my trip to Israel. I traveled to Israel with my Grandma when I was 15 years old. Primarily because she wanted me to connect with my Jewish roots, and thought a tour around Israel in it's entirety would do the trick. I was able to place a note in the Wailing Wall, jump off of yacht diving board into the Red Sea, cover myself in mud at the Dead Sea, and soak in bathwater in the Med. I partied on the beach with the city that received Satu...

was 67 years old last Monday. I have 3 sons and 4.6 grandsons. The newest is due in 3 months, which will be January 2013. My wife says she would be considered a Queen in China for having all these masculine dependents, I told her she is considered a Queen here. So what do I want to write about my Grandkids, I'm thinking pretty much the same thing every Grandparent and specifically Grandfathers want to say? I said in the summary that it's my job to spoil them and that's a good place to start this article. I tell young people with little kids that are driving them crazy to sell them at about 10 and then buy them back again when they have a good paying job. Surviving the teen years with my three sons was an adventure. I'll bet a lot of people that read this can identify with what I'm saying. I think the movie "Parenthood" captured what I'm talking about extremely well. I will just end this thought by mentioning that my middle son is a lawyer, but durin...

other, God Bless her, though not formally educated, was a wise woman. She had many an expression of love and kindness and faith that I have quoted in several of my columns. But the one that stands out to me at my present ripe, young age of 86 is that, "We should give with warm hands." That's what this column is about. I will start with a poem I wrote about this subject: Warm Hands My Mother was the one who told me Don't wait 'till it's too late. To show your special ones you love them Because you've passed through Heaven's gate. And the gifts you give them valuable and old, Come with hands so cold. No.. Better to give with hands warm and there While God allows you to see and share. A quote from Amy Carmichael says, You can give without loving But you cannot love without giving. I have decided, in my fading years, to live by those words. My wife died recently leaving me with a house full of memories, pictures, an...

much is written about the luxury which grandparents have in their ability to spoil their grandchildren. Ironically, that tradition has been compounded in contemporary society because of our high divorce rate, which, arguably, has reached epidemic proportions. One of the by-products of America's high rate of fractured families is the fact that now, instead of having two sets of grandparents to shower gifts upon their progeny, children sometimes find that they have four sets of grandparents readily opening their wallets for birthday and holiday giving. Why, we ask ourselves, does every child under the age of 13 need to have his/her very own room, TV, cell phone, X-Box, tablet, laptop, etc., etc., etc.?! How did it come to pass that it is no longer unusual for youngsters to request and to expect a holiday gift list which surpasses 1K+ - Yes, you heard me! I said, "More than $1,000!" To attest to the fact that this phenomenon is not an anomaly, stop and ask yourself how ma...

forgot about my asthma completely when I took off from the center of gentle weather, San Diego, for the woods of North Carolina, and then Washington D.C. San Diego is really a Mecca for retired folks, so why would I chose travel to the frigid temperatures of the East? The answer is the usual, I wanted to see my grandkids and their birthdays fell during the winter. A couple of errors in judgement later, I ended up in the Emergency Room in Alexandria, Virginia. Indeed, the old folksong "Carry me Back to old Virginie" must have been written especially for me, especially the "carry part". We were forewarned that the weather would be about thirty degrees, but my son paid no heed as his blood is thickened from being in North Carolina. And I, of course, needed to make good use of my time while here for only four weeks, two weekends of which were birthdays for my grandkids. I bundled up well, and actually felt invigorated the first day of the trip. I bought a darling h...

r Raymond William Garrett AFC. AE. My grandfather was born at the turn of the century in 1900 and grew up in Kew in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. He left school at the age of 14 and went to work in the tramway yards to help support his family as it was the start of the war. He always had a fascination for machinery and his three greatest passions in life were driving, flying and photography. He paid for his flying lessons by taking aerial photographs of Melbourne which were then used by developers and councils to map the progress of the growth of Melbourne. My Grandfathers Early Days of Flying In 1923 my grandfather held the British Empire long distance gliding record for 1 hour and 23 minutes performed at Tower Hill in the Victorian western districts. The glider was launched off a ramp using a conveyor belt as a slingshot and a truck to pull it backwards. He went on to start the Victorian Gliding Club at Benalla and became a life member. My grandfather was a founding fa...

grandparent, there are many things you can do to help out when a new grandchild is born. For each one, the need may be different depending on the particular circumstances. When my first grandchild was born, I cooked meals ahead and put them in the freezer so cooking wasn't an issue for the first week or so. However, it is best to ask first. Some people prefer their own style of cooking. When this particular grandchild was born, I also bought a fiscus plant. She is fourteen years old now and the plant is nearly as tall as she is. (However, plants may not always be welcome either). When a second one was born, I looked after the baby so that the parents could get some much needed sleep. Also, when nursing wasn't the success the new mother had hoped for, I picked up formula and bottles, sterilizing the bottles and then making up the formula. And when their second baby was born, I looked after both children so that the tired parents could catch up on their sleep. Although we al...

When your Grandparents get to a certain age, it is time for them to come and live with you or go to sheltered accommodation. It will be for their health and safety because they might not be able to look after themselves anymore. Now, homes for their elderly are not known for looking after people and making sure people are happy. Most care homes are known for treating their residents badly and sometimes leaving them without the proper care. This is not to say that all care homes are like that. There are probably thousands of care homes out there that take care of their residents and their residents live out their lives there extremely happy. However, those care homes do not make the news and people only hear about the bad homes. Therefore, care homes have a bad reputation and most people will opt to have their Grandparents living with them. If you are in the process of making the decision to send your Grandparents to a care home, or let them live with you, then it is not a deci...

randparent is no longer synonymous with the rosy-cheeked grandmother baking apple pies or the old granddad in his rocking chair with his pipe and slippers. They are far more likely these days to be found improving their handicap on the golf course, enjoying a walking holiday, enrolling for an assortment of classes or undertaking valuable voluntary work. However grandparents are also playing an increasingly important role in families as more and more marriages break up and families become a complex mix of people, roles and relationships. Sometimes in a breakup one set of grandparents may be relied on quite heavily, whilst the other set can end up feeling almost estranged from their grandchildren. Sometimes step-grandparents may be introduced. These situations can require especial tact and sensitivity as the new relationships are negotiated. Let's look at why families need grandparents and consider some of the things they are able to contribute: - Time. Notwithstanding the man...

stood at my grandmother's funeral in 2006 and realized with shock that I was actually related to about three hundred of the five hundred people at the funeral. My grandmother lived for 102 years. She had eight children, my dad being the last. There were more than forty grandchildren, eighty-five great grandchildren, at least twenty-five great, great grandkids, and two great, great, great grandchildren whom I knew of. Looking around, I began to feel dizzy. How could I be related to all these people? But more importantly, all these people were here because of one woman. If it weren't for her, none of us would have been born. (Well perhaps our souls would have been here but not the distinct personalities that we know today.) Irene Serieux was actually responsible for a whole generation. I am sure my grandmother never dreamed that she would create such a legacy. I picture her as a young woman moving quietly through her village, as if she was in the opening scene of a movie. As t...

side help to get by and cope with the demands of daily life, especially if there has been a serious family setback like divorce, bereavement or redundancy to cope with. Grandparents can provide valuable help, advice and support, especially at times like this; they have so much to give. - Financial help; grandparents may have better financial resources than their children. They may have paid off their mortgage, be retired with less overheads, perhaps have sold their business or have down-sized their home and are happy to help with their grandchildren's upkeep, perhaps by contributing towards their education or helping out financially in other important ways. A grandparent's financial support can relieve a stressful financial burden from the family's shoulders. - Time is something that many grandparents are happy to give, perhaps being in a position where they have time to drop off or pick up children from school, baby sit, spend hours happily watching sports matches or ...

v While it is true that almost no one knows when he or she will pass from this earth, it is a fact that people must face it and realize it is closer when they have become senior citizens. When the spring and summer seasons of life have gone by, fall can quickly turn to winter. When winter comes, life may change in preparation for the end. Older grandparents and great grandparents know that life may be short. If a person's health has been relatively maintained and the mind is still functioning properly, there is no reason to think negatively about the impending death which comes to all persons in this world. Some older people begin to work on their bucket list and to complete the projects for which they never had time when they were younger and life was busier. They may visit places they wanted to see and do things they wanted to experience which they did not do when they were younger. It is a good idea to plan for the end and make certain preparations. Family members should b...

3rew up in a small town. Although I never lived there again once I graduated from college, I was always nostalgic about that life; the big yards, the ease of getting from one place to another (walk, bike or a short bus ride}, the city-wide celebrations on holidays, the joy of knowing so many people when you walked down the street, and the safety children enjoyed as they roamed the city streets. The people in our town were probably 95% white and 90% Christian and it was very unusual to see an African-American face. But once I learned what a bigger city had to offer (theatre, educational opportunities, shopping, etc.), I was torn. I liked the benefits but loved the small town atmosphere. So when my husband, also from a small town, and I looked around for a city to live, work and raise our children in, we tried to mingle these contrasting benefits. Originally, we settled in Carlsbad, California which was a small but growing community, an easy drive to the larger city of San Diego and ...

ecently, we traveled to New York to be a part of our granddaughter's birthday celebration which was in a few days. The plane was half full and except for two-year old twin boys across the aisle, fairly quiet! The boys (and their parents) were going to visit grandma and grandpa and, as I watched their activity level, I hoped grandma and grandpa had a big yard and lots of energy. I already knew what to expect from our (almost) 7 year-old granddaughter. She would grab our hands and lead us to her bedroom, close the door firmly and place us on her bed. Then she would show us all her newest acquisitions. Many of these would have some connection to the movie "Frozen", her most recent obsession. We'd ooh and aah at all the right moments and she and I would apply the age-appropriate makeup, nail polish and skin glitter that would peel off within 15 minutes. She'd sing a few of the songs from "Frozen" for us and then we'd move into the living room to play ...

matter how much others brag and express their delight in grandchildren, nothing compares to having your own. These wonderful protégés are to be loved and protected in unique ways not just because they are the children or your children but because they are so special. They usually arrive one at a time (although twins and triplets may occur) so you have time to enjoy each with great one-on-one time. While you may still be working outside of the home, grandchildren enter the home to fill weekends and evenings with love and laughter, and then as bedtime nears or Sunday daylight fades, they go to their home and you are left to recover and bask in the afterglow of these tender hearts. Point Number 1 - You are responsible but not totally responsible. You want to set standards and follow guidelines to enhance the positive growth and attitude of each child but you do not have to shoulder the weight of homework, washing clothes, cleaning rooms, and other chores and child-rearing practices. In...

n a new baby is joining the family, the grandparents' pride and pleasure is boundless. How do they express it? With love and affection for sure, but the gift of a home-made baby quilt says volumes about their devotion. 1. They Appreciate the Keepsake Value Grandma herself might still have the lace-edged handkerchief from her mother's wedding, or the ring her father wore. Wonderful keepsakes, but usually tucked away in the back of a drawer and seldom seen by younger family members. Baby quilts handmade from flannel will not only be treasured by the newest arrival, but will be used and appreciated by that baby's future siblings and maybe her own children. No sequestered drawer for heirloom baby quilts. They'll be front and center in the next generations' babyhoods, seen and used in the crib and wherever else babies go. 2. They Seek Originality Grandparents hope to give their new grandchild something totally different than the many other gifts that will be giv...

v ever let another person dictate how you feel I remember several occasions when my grandmother, Nanny, was spoken to abruptly and harshly. Raised voices, undeserved criticism and mean words intended to hurt were flung at her, a scenario which would reduce many others to tears - but not Nanny. She would brush it off, smile and then offer the other party a cup of tea. She taught me that your feelings are yours and it is your choice whether to allow others to create or change them, so simply choose not to. 2. It is always a good time to have a good time I can't recall a point in time where I was ever around Nanny and not smiling. In 15 years of living under the same roof and countless interactions since, I have never had a frown on my face because of her. More than happiness though, she was just so much fun to be with. Whether it was dancing in the aisles at an Elvis Presley impersonator concert, checking out cute guys or going for a musical, Nanny proved to me that with the ...