| Proverbs 17:6 – “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged.” |
Tonight, it was time to leave for church. I went to grab a jacket from the closet, and our son Jackson grabbed his. Grammy was staying so she could put Milo to bed. When he realized we were going out, he ran past me towards the closet to get his shoes. “Don’t leave yet!” I did not respond, and he sensed that things were not going to go as he hoped. I heard the despair in his voice, and he began to cry as reality set in. We left out the back door, and through the window, we could see his heart breaking. He wasn’t going, and it was hard for him to swallow. I have seen the importance of grandparents in these past nearly three years of being one. We help shape them and give them a role model. I love to watch “The Waltons”, mainly because of the extended family under one roof. Grandma and Grandpa in the house with the grandchildren. I lived it. When I was in high school, my grandmother Hazel moved in with us. My grandfather R. J. died of a heart attack a few years before. We converted our garage into an apartment for her. For ten years, she lived with us, and it was the best of times. She was a good listener and counselor to me. She was my cheerleader too. “You can do it” are words I remember her saying most often. She made us biscuits from scratch! She rolled out her pie crusts from scratch. She cooked up some good meals. I would clean up the kitchen so she wouldn’t have to do that. We even worked together at the University (of Oklahoma) Book Exchange on campus. Ten or so years ago, we went into the bookstore one Saturday when we were in town. I spoke to the manager. “I worked here when I was a student. And my grandmother.” Him: “What was her name?” Me: “Hazel Smith.” Him: “Oh, yes! I knew Hazel.” He gave me a discount on our purchases that day. One night, my brother, Scott, came home from a date. He had borrowed her car that night. He had a piece of her bumper in his hand from a mishap. He went into her room where she was sleeping, in the dark, holding her bumper. “Granny, I had a little accident.” Her: “Scott, we will look at it in the morning.” She went back to sleep. I always appreciated her gentle hand. Father in heaven, thank you for grandparents, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
– Jeff Beall
