I know that a number of my readers are grandparents. And I know that all of my readers are descended from grandparents! The image above is another sculpture by Timothy P. Schmalz titled Generations and it shows us Anna and Joachim embracing their daughter and son-in-law, Mary and Joseph, embracing their grandchild Jesus.
The report below from Zenit announces a Vatican effort to highlight the role of grandparents in the life of Christian families.
While I'm troubled that the major speakers appear to be celibate males (likely to have experience of grandparents but not as grandparents), I do believe this is a good step in the right direction. My own experience as a pastor tells me how important, how critical can be the role of grandparents in the faith lives of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In many families, tradition of faith is solidly in the hands of our elders when the middle generation fails in its own responsibilities.
Grandparents, parents and grandchildren: what have you to say about your experience of being/having grandparents? The combox is open...
Pontifical Council to Focus on Families' Oldest Members
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 2, 2008 - The plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family will be dedicated this year to the theme of grandparents.
The assembly on "Grandparents: Their Testimony and Presence in the Family" begins Thursday in the Vatican and ends Saturday. Organizers of the conference aim to highlight grandparents' role of keeping families together; supporting and caring for grandkids; mediation in the relationship of the couple; and the relationship between parents and children.
Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, will begin the assembly, followed by Archbishop Fernando Filoni of the Vatican secretariat of state, who will speak on the role of the elderly in the Church and society.
Friday and Saturday will be characterized by contributions from the universal Church, ranging from a Mexican cardinal who will speak on the preparation for the upcoming 6th World Meeting of Families to be held in Mexico City in January, 2009, to an archbishop from Cameroon who will speak on the role of grandparents in African Christian culture.
Other conferences will turn attention to the role of grandparents in families touched by migration. Couples from Australia, Congo, Chile and the Philippines will give a round-table discussion. And the conference will conclude with an interchange of ideas and a planning meeting for future goals...
-ConcordPastor
I thought by now lots of grandparents would have commented! I would just like to say that I think children and young people who have grandparents who live near them or whom they can see with regularity are very lucky. Three of my grandparents had died before I was born. My only living grandmother lived far away. Once in a while she would come and stay with us for a visit. She died at age 85 shortly after I turned 13 years old. I never felt as if I knew her very well. My memories are of her plum kuchen (yum!) and of her telling my brothers and me to quiet down because our baby sister was sleeping! I have always sort of envied friends who had close relationships with their grandparents. Grandparents are a blessing that may be taken for granted, but shouldn't be!
ReplyDeleteBeing a grandparent is the BEST!
ReplyDeleteThree of my own grandparents died before I was 3, so I have little or no recollection of them, save for a few pictures. My fourth grandparent lived until after I was married and had children. While she loved us dearly and was very good to us...she was not the kind of grandmother who was "cuddly" or shared her feelings. She lived with us so there were no "going to Nana's, "sleepovers" or visits to her kitchen for cookies etc.
I made sure to foster a strong relationship between our kids and their grandparents, 2 of whom died when they were young, but they do have fond memories, and two of whom are still alive and have attended their weddings!
Now that we are "grammy & grampy" we are am very intentional about fostering a strong bond with our granddaughter...even though she lives on the west coast and we live on the east coast. I read books on tape and send them to her, we "see" her on webcam at least once a week, and we made a pledge to see her every 8-10 weeks which we have been blessed to be able to do.
There is something very special and unique about being a grandparent, something that is difficult to describe, it is a joy and blessing beyond compare!