I remember having grandparents that were a very important part of my upbringing even though they were not in my life every day. One of those grandmothers was a typical farmer’s wife with 8 children. She made sure that fresh homemade bread was set in pans and rising at 5 AM to be baked at noon. She milked cows, prepared meals, pumped water to do the laundry (with a wringer washer,) hung clothes out to dry, and this was all before noon.

My other grandma was a city lady who raised four children on her own. She smoked cigarettes, worked in a factory most of her life, had a few more conveniences, but still possessed a strong work ethic. As different as these two women were, they both had one thing in common. They had tons of love to pour on their grandchildren.

Once we become grandparents, we have a great responsibility. We have been given a second chance to do things the way we wish we would have with our children. We can use the time we have to listen to them, to encourage them, to guide them spiritually, to correct them (to a point) and teach them through our own life lessons.

Lord, thank you for grandparents who influenced my life in so many ways. May I be that kind of person for my own grandchildren. Amen!