If I could wave my magic wand and grant a loving wish to all children born into whatever worlds are chosen, I would choose to garnish all wishes with the best wish of all. . . to grant a curious mind. And the curious mind announces its arrival by the first simple ‘why?’
To accompany that mind I would grant loving grandparents down the street to whose arms I would have the child run when life would threaten to overwhelm.
And the child would learn that when the appropriate lessons for community living become a bit much to live with, the grandparents would grant surcease. That pause to refresh that only they could know would do. And bring out the paints and the music and the ideas that flow profusely from them to the child.
For Biology 101 teaches that there is more of the grandparents in the grandchild than either parents, whether we talk of the fruitfly or the human being. Children and grandparents are on the same wavelength.
And therein lies the salvation of the future of our species. For in the embrace of the grandparents lies a wealth of experience that promises the child that this too shall pass. That herein lies what we hold sacred forever. What we learn to do because it is fun to learn, exciting because it is new to us and we can do it! Or because we feel good about ourselves. It makes us feel stretched bigger than we are when we make ourselves better.
And to learn to feel good about ourselves, we will want others to feel good about themselves. So we will do the good thing whenever we have the chance. Until it is always a part of who we are. And it brings to mind, doesn’t it, that this is what being human is all about ?
When we know to do the good thing is what we are born to do, we wear the right thoughts for the mind of the world we are in. And find also when we do it right, we grow into a universal mind. The universal mind being the one that qualifies us for what will be demanded of us.
Amazing that we get parents to teach us what we need to learn and grandparents what we want, to ease what we have to learn. And it all begins with a ‘why?’ . . . . .
photos by Tresy Hallissey. . (grandfather)
they paint and make leaves for the window
2 responses to “Grandparents. . . the best magic. . . .”
Your title says it all, “Grandparents. . . the best magic”. Thank you for stretching us, your grandchildren, and letting us feel good about ourselves!
Mark, I am tearful remembering the instant you and William made me Grandmother H. You both embraced and had room for me and made me proud. I am remembering the talks late into the night. We are woven into the same wavelength! Telling you still I have loved you long before the world ever was. .