A Change of Scenery

For the past two weeks I’ve been at my parents’ house and when we leave from here on Friday, we go to my brother-in-law’s house in Connecticut for one more week.  It’s not a vacation.  It’s just, what my mother calls, a change of scenery.  I still have to cook, clean, take care of kids, run errands, etc.  But I at least get to do all those things and spend time with my parents and grandparents.

Yesterday my brother brought his kids down to South Florida from Orlando for the day.  This is a photo of my dad and four of his five grandchildren:

My dad was on his way to a formal meeting, as you can tell.

Here’s why this is important: last week I wrote about my grandparents, and them getting old; now I want to talk about the future.  I have been nostalgic for being seventeen years old, having my grandparents take care of me, and the “good old days”.   I’m realizing, as the days go by, that what is important to them is their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  At this point, the future is important to them and these kids represent that future.  Therefore, it behooves me to change my focus too.

Last night, my husband and I took my grandmother out for dinner. She is sharp as a tack at nearly 89 years old.

Though she needs a walker to get around, there is nothing at all wrong with her memory and she often remembers things I’ve forgotten.  She reminds me that my job is to take care of these kids and make sure that they grow up to be the best people they can be.  I have to guide them through their growing years, to college, and beyond so that when they are my age and looking back, they have good memories and feel nostalgic.  Nostalgia can be a wonderful thing.  We wouldn’t have a yearning for the past if it wasn’t a wonderful place to be.  When they get to be my age, I hope they can look back and feel as wonderful as I do about the way I grew up.