Grandparents

I was fortunate enough to have all four of my grandparents while I was growing up. In fact I had all four until I was 25, three of them were at my wedding, my grandma even got to meet both of my boys and loved her great-grandsons as much as she loved me. I only lost her this year. They also all lived close by so my sister and I saw them freqently when we were younger - my mum and dad played hockey and football respectively every saturday morning, so we spent every saturday morning with a grandparent, and other times besides - so I was very close to all of them. As an adult living in London I was still not too far away, and we continued to frequently visit each other right up until their deaths.

I consider myself extremely lucky to have known them all so well - I know these days people often live a distance from their grandparents (the reason behind Who Loves Me? incidentally) - but they got to know me so well, and I was fortunate enough to have that constant grandparental love that is so unique until my mid-thirties (I am witnessing it now from a different angle with my parents / in-laws and my boys, and its such a beautiful thing to watch). Throughout my life they loved me, they spoilt me, they read to me and played with me, they educated me, they supported and encouraged me and they were proud of me. I couldn't have asked for more.

A few hours before my nana died my cousins and I were able to tell her the influence she had had on all of our lives; the girls she was so proud of.  How our characteristics can be attributed and credited to her. She praised her familial nurses for their hardwork and dedication and caring, to which one of my cousins responded “after all you’ve done for all of us – in fact we should be giving you more.”  Nana replied “I did no more than any other grandma would have done.”  I think she actually believed that, despite the fact that she definitely did way more! The day before my other grandma died, she got uncharacteristically upset - not because she knew she had only a little time to live, but because she didn't want to leave her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I actually can't write either of these things without tears streaming down my face, I miss them so much. Grandparents are truly amazing people! 

This photo was taken on my 18th birthday of me with my four beautiful grandparents -  I have it up in my home so I get to see them every day (despite it being a permanent record of my dodgy teenage hairdo!) - it is my tribute to all of them. I know mine and my husband's parents will be equally amazing grandparents to my boys.