Tuesday, March 21, 2017

“The Grandbaby Business”

Knitting and crocheting are what my wife is doing these days. Why? We are expecting a baby. Don’t be too quick to assume! Actually, we are expecting a grandbaby girl!
 
I have granted myself a new title: PapaNie. How do you like it? “Pa-pa-nee” in Chinese means “giving someone a pat.” It is a common Chinese expression meaning that you care for someone. Yes, I do care about the life of my children and my future grandchild.
 
In this challenging world, young people’s lives may be tough; however, with our love, encouragement, and care, they can make it in America. A brighter tomorrow is yet to come.
 
You may wonder how I got the name, “The Grandbaby Business.” Well, a friend of mine mentioned it to me when he and his wife announced their retirement. They said they were going to start a new chapter in life called “the grandbaby business.”
 
At first I thought they were going to open a retail business in children’s clothing. But I soon found out that what they meant was devoting their retirement years to raising an excellent grandchild. It was more a philosophy than just an activity.
 
You’ve probably heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Do not get me wrong—I am not preaching socialism here—but I do think it takes an entire family to raise a child. That includes not just the parents, but the grandparents, as well.
 
Since I will become a grandpa soon, I’ve asked myself what is a grandparent’s duty? Is it buying toys for the little one, or taking her out for ice cream and movies?
 
The answer may include those things, but I think the most important duty as a grandparent is to give guidance and wisdom to the child. I would like to think that my grandchild will see me as one who gives her wisdom; who gives her gifts that are not just sweet, but meaningful.

What will be my first gift to the child? It must be a meaningful one!

By chance, I found an old crib that belonged to my niece, who will be the aunt of my grandchild. I think this crib will be more meaningful than a new one. Why? Because this crib has a history that involves another young lady. I want my granddaughter to see from the very beginning the whole picture of life.
 
The little old crib represents a picture of the past, present, and future, educating the little girl in both the history of the bed and the person of her young aunt, who has present and future dreams. By contrast, a brand new crib could be nice, but it would not tell a story like the old crib will.
 
As a grandpa, my job will be to take every opportunity to inspire this young mind, regardless of what we might be doing—whether playing, eating, or reading. What a fun, meaningful, and challenging job this grandbaby business will be.
 
My wife and I are looking forward to our first granddaughter! From time to time I will share our grandparenting adventures with you, so please stay tuned. I will shoot my blogs from PapaNie —The Grandbaby Business.
 

March, 2017
 


 

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