My sons never had children, so I never had grandchildren. Then one day I had three little visitors, and the youngest one – a little boy named Nick – made me the best proposition ever.
Kids say the darnedest things
While Nick and his two older sisters were visiting that day, one of his sisters asked if I had any grandchildren. When I said I didn’t, Nick, who was 4 years old at the time, spoke right up and said, “You can be my grandma!”
He adopted me right then and there, and that’s how I became a grandma. Since that day, Nick and I have been as close as any grandmother and grandson I’ve known.
Fun at Grandma’s
When he was little, Nick spent a lot of time with me. He loved to come over and eat cookies and play games. We often played the card game “War” when he was younger. Then, when he got a little older, I taught him to play “Rummy.”
During the school year, he would ask me to help him with his school work. We shared a lot of stories, and soon we became great friends.
As a youngster, Nick liked to help me with small tasks around the house and yard. One day, I was pulling weeds from my flower garden, and the ground was hard and dry. The weeds were difficult to pull, so I decided to wet the ground a little with the garden hose. Soon the area was muddy, so Nick and I took off our shoes to work.
As we pulled weeds, we got extremely muddy. Although we were laughing and having a great time, we were filthy by the time we finished, so we used the hose and sprayed the mud off of one another. Then we sat in the yard swing and let the hot summer sun dry us.
Part of the family
After meeting Nick, I met the rest of his family – two very nice grandmothers, loving parents, two sisters, two brothers, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. It was an honor to become part of his family, spending holidays and special occasions with them.
When Nick said, “You can be my grandma,” I had no idea how much love, friendship, joy and happiness I would receive from being an adopted grandma.
When my grandson, who is now an adult, gives me a hug and tells me he loves me, it still warms my heart.
Fay
Lawndale, Illinois
