Grandeur and Grandest

I am lucky enough to have 2 really exceptional individuals as parents. When I first lived away from home I thought that maybe I was just homesick all of the time and that they couldn't be that great. But, I've lived away from them on and off, mostly off, for most of the last 15 years and it isn't that I'm homesick, it's that my parents are wonderful people. They recently came to visit us in Peru and we were delighted to have them (as well as myriad other family members). My parents are predictable, in the best sense of the word, helpful, easily entertained, dependable, funny, intelligent, clever and even when they feel lousy (which they both did at some point during their visit) still a pleasure to be around. From my parents I have learned, among other things, the joys of reading, traveling, hard work, setting and achieving goals, patience (or at least the value of patience even if I don't always demonstrate this virtue), making time for fun, trying new things and being flexible. On top of all of this, my husband genuinely respects and likes my parents, a definite plus and they are SPECTACULAR grandparents. As grandparents go, my siblings and I definitely drew the short straw. Our grandfathers were good men who did their best and left legacies to be proud of.


On the other hand, our grandmothers were/are the antithesis of the typical grandmother. Not all bad, but certainly not the type you read about in books. For most of my life I remember my parents offering their apologies on behalf of their less than stellar mothers and promising to make it up to us by being great grandparents, like their own. Caleb is the first (and currently only) grandchild, after a wait my father insisted was entirely too long. And while their interaction with him is curtailed by geography, though we compensate with Skype and visits as frequent as feasible, my parents have kept their promise and then some. He adores his Grandeur and Grandest as they have opted to be called - clever, no? And especially now after their visit he loves to look at pictures of them, hear their voices on the phone, or see them on the camera phone. And really, who wouldn't love these particular grandparents? They lavish attention and presents on him, sing to him - music is high on his list of favorites, play games with him, teach him new things and generally delight in being near him. I am confident he will one day know just how lucky and special all of this is and how incredible it is to have terrific grandparents (Caleb has 2 others who are equally noteworthy) who adore him. Hooray for great parents who become amazing grandparents!