{"id":7509,"date":"2024-11-05T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=7509"},"modified":"2024-11-07T13:22:32","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T18:22:32","slug":"179-grandparenting-what-a-great-gig","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/179-grandparenting-what-a-great-gig\/","title":{"rendered":"#179\u2014Grandparenting \u2013 What a Great Gig!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Who said, \u201cLove is the greatest give one generation can leave another.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Who said, \u201cI used to think I was too old to fall in love again, then I became a grandparent.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Who said, \u201cI’ve learned…. That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    <\/div>
    Blog #179 (audio)<\/div><\/div>
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    Published: <\/span>November 7, 2024<\/span><\/div>
    <\/div>Audio by Andy Adkins<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/span>0<\/span> Downloads<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>\n\n\n
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    We\u2019ve been blessed with three grandsons\u2014two from our son and one from our daughter (and their respective spouses, of course).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For those with grandchildren, I know you know<\/em> what it\u2019s like to first hold that little baby in your arms. I call it \u201cpure love.\u201d So much innocence, so small, so delicate, but oh my\u2026 what a feeling!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Then they start to grow right before your eyes\u2014too fast. But that\u2019s life, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I can still remember the day our daughter was born. We were in Idabel, Oklahoma in the mid 80s. I\u2019d taken a job with Weyerhaeuser Company after graduating from college. We initially lived in the Seattle area; Weyerhaeuser\u2019s headquarters was in Federal Way, Washington, midway between Tacoma and Seattle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I musta stepped on someone’s toes, cause after a year, they transferred me to \u201cNowhere, Oklahoma.\u201d Actually, Idabel was a beautiful part of the country, nestled down in the southeast corner of the state. Though, we would drive 1\u00bd hours to Texarkana for a nice dinner and a movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We went to the movie theater in Idabel\u2026 once. After we got unstuck from the sticky, gooey seats, we decided we would not return to that particular establishment. But that\u2019s another story for another day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We were watching the 1984 Winter Olympics on television. Scott Hamilton was doing his phenomenal figure-skating routine and in the middle of his triple Axel jump, Becky began feeling contractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019ll spare you the details, but we made it to the hospital through the snow and our daughter Evelyn was born the next morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhat\u2019s she look like?\u201d My wife asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I walked over to the scale where the nurse was weighing her. \u201cWell\u2026 she\u2019s got ten fingers and ten toes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I have no idea where that remark came from, but that was the first thing out of my mouth\u2014it had been a long<\/em> night. I caught myself after the nurse gave me \u201cthe look,\u201d and then turned around, a few tears in my eyes, and said, \u201cshe\u2019s perfect and beautiful, just like you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Talk about a 180, plus<\/em> a few extra points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A little more than a year ago, Evelyn gave birth to our third grandson (her first baby). \u201cRufus\u201d is named after Becky\u2019s father. He was born a month early (a \u201cpreemie\u201d), but was never in the NICU. In fact, while we were planning on going up for the original planned date, Evelyn called one morning from the hospital and basically said, \u201cwe\u2019re going to have a baby today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Of course, we were excited, but not<\/em> prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yet (and this is where that old Navy deployment training comes into play), we were on the road within an hour, heading north on a 14-hour journey to Cleveland. We knew we wouldn\u2019t make it in time for the delivery, but that didn’t matter; we were on our way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We arrived the next day after an overnight stop. They\u2019d texted us the day before with a picture and \u201ceverything and everyone\u2019s okay<\/em>\u201d message. It\u2019s a good thing Becky was driving, \u2018cause I was blubbering. We were so happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But that\u2019s what grandparents do, don\u2019t they?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Rufus is now a little over a year and no longer a baby. He\u2019s now a “toddler.” With both parents working full time (they\u2019re both professors at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland), he\u2019s now in day-care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Pretty soon, he\u2019ll be in school, then playing sports, then dating, then married, then kids of his own, then\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Slow down. I\u2019m not ready for him to grow up so fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Our other two grandsons are in San Diego. They\u2019re a bit older (12 and 10). One\u2019s in middle school, the other\u2019s in elementary school. Both are smart as the dickens (do people still use that word?), both are athletic, and both play piano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Becky plays the piano\u2014she grew up playing classical music, as did her mother. We still have the baby grand Steinway her mother had in the mid-1930s purchased from the Steinway Piano Store in Boston. And it still sounds great. When the California boys visit, they enjoy playing their \u201cconcert pieces\u201d on the old family heirloom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Our son, Jared, was born in Melbourne, Florida. He\u2019s younger than his sister. But like Evelyn, I remember the day he was born, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Evelyn was born three days after her \u201cdue date.\u201d She came in at a little over nine pounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jared, on the other hand, didn\u2019t want to come out on his own. Three weeks after <\/em>the due date, the doctor said, \u201cit\u2019s time.\u201d After 30+ hours of labor, it was past \u201cit\u2019s time<\/em>.\u201d Jared made his grand entrance at nine pounds, 10 ounces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And he\u2019s been growing ever since. I\u2019m 6\u20194 and Jared met me eye-to-eye years ago when he was a teenager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And now both our kids have kids of their own. While they\u2019re in different parts of the country, we visit when we can (or vice versa). It\u2019s amazing to see how they grow, both physically and mentally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When we visit San Diego, now and then we\u2019ll all board the USS Midway Museum<\/em><\/strong>. Of course, since I was an airdale (ABH2<\/strong>, V-1 Division<\/strong>, USS Kitty Hawk<\/em><\/strong>), I like to spend time reminiscing on the flight deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The boys, however, like it below decks, especially in the machine rooms and the CIC (Combat Information Center). I think it\u2019s because of all the bells & whistles and lights & dials. I can live with that. But when we get up onto the flight deck, watch out\u2026 granddad goes into his \u201cNavy\u201d character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Don\u2019t we all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yeah\u2026 like I said earlier, being a grandparent it a great gig. I wouldn\u2019t trade it for anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Until we meet again,
    Andy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran<\/strong> (\u201973-77) and the author of several books (www.azadkinsiii.com<\/a>); many of which are free downloads (PDF, eBook format). He is currently retired and lives in Gainesville, Florida with his wife and life-long soulmate, Becky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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