April 24, 2023
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. ~ Ephesians 4:32
I had a thirty-six-hour adventure with our grandson Ross while his parents took his sister, Lily, to a new admission orientation day at Elon college.
Ross is a low-maintenance child, and my presence was primarily chauffeur, food supplier, chess victim (it wasn’t pretty), and someone to hang out with. Like his father before me, he didn’t have much to say when I asked him about school, or what he wanted to eat, or how he felt about his sister going to college in the fall. But it was OK, we hung out together, not on our phones, and that was worth the trip.
After I picked him up from school on Friday, we “played” pickle ball minus lines or net in the driveway. After the first game he said, “Nana, you are pretty mobile for an old grandma.” I wasn’t sure whether to be insulted or honored and chose the latter.
There was pollen everywhere, which irritated my throat and caused me to cough. He kept saying, “Nana, are you OK? We could stop and get you a drink of water.” I thanked him, explained the cough, and suggested at the end of the game we could get some water. Maybe he thought I was going to keel over at my advanced age. It was kind of him to offer. To top it off, every time the ball went into the street, and I ran to get it, he’d say, “Look both ways.”
It was soon time for me to get in the car and head back to Woodstock. He helped me load the car and after we hugged goodbye, he said, “Thanks for babysitting me, Nana.” I replied, “I think you were watching me as much as I was watching you.
I might have missed the afterschool activity, as his parents said they could arrange for someone to give him a ride home from school Friday so I could get on the road before rush hour traffic. I declined the offer, saying “I don’t want to miss out on any Ross time.” I would have missed out on the unplanned pickleball game, the laughs, and his kindness and tenderheartedness.
For kindness and tenderheartedness flowing from the heart of a fourteen-year-old grandson, I give God thanks. ~ Anne
Wayfinding 