Cookies Under the Bed By Dr. Juan Harrison
Cookies Under the Bed
Anyone who has the blessing and responsibility of keeping or watching or babysitting grandbabies and possibly great grands will have a ton of stories to tell you about their experiences. It’s hard to explain to someone who’s not there yet, but trying to capsulize in a few words how it changes your life is a challenge. Eventually we had three who lived a few miles away; the other two we lived for Facetime from California.
Watching the grands grow as we added a second, then a third, it was like constant movement as they changed before our eyes. We started out with the eldest being in my wife’s preschool for a couple of years. Then came number two for two more years. We were set for number three before their parents chose homeschooling for all three. It was a blessing seeing them two days a week interacting with Mamaw and Papaw, the custodian/cook. Before that we had started babysitting on Sunday nights to give them time for date nights to get in some adult conversation.
I’ve often repeated that what we invest in is what we get back. You don’t fool young ones or older ones either. Grandparents and great ones who don’t make the effort to be involved in those young ones’ lives can’t expect to have a very strong relationship with them. You get back what you put in. Sitting in a recliner all the time or being gone all the time traveling away from home missing a lot of grandbaby ballgames, is not going to make the grandbabies wanna go over to the grandparents’ house very often. It’s sort of a version of the old car repair adage; you can pay me now or pay me later. A wise grandparent doesn’t want to get to the end of the line looking back sadly realizing they invested their younger years selfishly. CD’s, IRA’s, bank accounts, all pale in value to the grandbabies who want to come by and see you instead of having to be asked. By then it’s too late. Unlike Scrooge you won’t get to dance a jig as he sings with a changed heart, “I like life, life likes me.”
Looking for the bedroom TV remote the other day after the energizer bunnies had left, I was looking under our bed and found a cookie that somehow slipped out of one of the grands’ hands and landed there. In earlier times I would sometimes find a pacifier in my pocket after they left as I was cleaning up. Not long ago they’d drag out every container of toys my wife had left over from her preschool days. Cleaning up was a trip. Today they have already changed before our eyes as they occupy two of our bigger TV screens with the Minecraft programs. Gone are Peppa Pig and Bluey. Before long they will probably be less interested in coming to Mamaw and Papaw’s. Other friends and activities will occupy their time. Even now I thank God for the blessed time we were able to share with them.
By Dr. Juan Harrison
