I recently read an article in the NYTimes entitled The Ultimate Amenity: Grandparents
My first reaction was-i was annoyed. annoyed that they spoke about grandparents like if they were some hot trend the wealthy were now embracing. The article was in the real estate section, so it was all about real estate, sadly it didn’t discuss the importance of family.
Many cultures embrace family time, and consider it precious and special. There are families where grandparents are not the latest “amenity” like a gym membership or a pool at a hotel, they are not something optional! There are many cultures where extended families are very much a part if everyday life. Italian families in the US are known to have big Sunday (weekly) dinners, and many Hispanic families also spend a lot of time together, very much involved in each other’s lives (for better or for worse-ha!) In India, they embrace extended family living arrangements.
My family has always been a part of my life, and now that I’m a mom, I want to make sure my son learns how to value family time and appreciate the people that care about him.
Those of you who know me know that I have a big family, and that my parents, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins have a special place in my life, and we don’t just see each other during holidays or special events, we try to see each other as much as we can, but most importantly we are always there to help each other out… knowing that you have people you can count on is truly priceless.
Grandparents are an important part of families, they hold a wealth of information on what life was like, on family history. They are wise (albeit sometimes stubborn). They have worked hard and grandchildren are their reward for raising children!
BabyEnzoG with Abuela, Papy, Abuelo and Mamie. (one set of Ecuadorian grandparents, one set of French grandparents!)
I leave you with a parting thought… If you are lucky enough to still have your grandparents around, give them a call, or take some time to visit them, send them a card, or shoot them an email… They are precious and realizing that when they are still around is priceless!
BabyEnzoG and his great-grandpapy!! =) Happy Holidays!
