by Elizabeth Rogers

Created on: June 08, 2008

It was love at first sight, at least from this Grammy's point of view. The day my first grandson was born, I looked through the nursery window in the hospital and picked him out before I even saw his name. I knew that he was "ours" and my heart thudded in anticipation of getting to hold him in my arms. Moments later, in my daughter's room, the other grandparents stood respectfully aside as my son-in-law gave me the honor of a lifetime; I got to cradle Josiah first, and as the camera clearly shows, he looked into my eyes and smiled.

In the early days, I held him so his Mom and Dad could rest, or grab a bite to eat. I changed his diapers and soothed him when he cried. Day by day, I became an integral part of his little life and he has never known a time when I was not a part of raising him. There has never been a time when he fussed or missed his parents when he was in my care. He has been safe, which keeps us all from the fear of the unknown.

My daughter went back to work part time and Josiah and I grew deeper and deeper in love. The security he knows in this atmosphere is wonderful for both him and his parents. My husband gets to interact with him man to little man because we live close by. My other children and even my dogs are part of Josiah's not-so-extended family and this endears his father to us and us to him on a deeper level too.

There is another little one on the way now and the family excitement is increasing every month. A brother for Josiah. Another precious life to hold.

Of course, the close proximity to my grandchildren and a mall makes for quite a bit of help with clothing and toys for this quickly growing family, and I think I like that as much as anyone. Enjoying these moments together, shopping and engaging in other outings, my daughter and I interact on a new level that deepens our relationship as well. I re-discover the things that meant a lot to her when she was a little girl as she repeats them with her son.

Our table is full to over flowing at holiday times, with cousins, aunts, great-grandparents, parents, siblings and more. It can be a lonely world out there, but it never is inside! Generations melt away as each person's life melds into the whole.

I am blessed by my grandchildren and they are blessed as well. They make me laugh; I soothe them when they cry. They make me feel young; I help them as they grow up. They give me new experiences; I share with them the old. The greatest advantage to this bond is the love that is shared and the dimension that it adds to life.

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