1991 - Katie and her Grandpa Say messin' about on the Kinderhook Creek. Say is now Great-grandpa Say to Katie's children. |
As with May’s Grandmothers, famous
Grandfathers abound. Just think of the Bush family, the Kennedy family, the
Barrymores, the Fondas, and, of course, Prince Phillip.
Grandfathers can be curmudgeons or cream
puffs – or a bit of both. Was your grandfather an old curmudgeon? Did you have
a stern Grandfather, or a jolly one?
Every once in a while did he drop a question on you: “Ever hear the
story pf the dirty shirt? That’s one on you!”
Ha ha ha! Through the years, he probably had several bits of wisdom to
pass along to you.
What did you call your Grandfather? A
dignified Grandfather, or Grandpa, Gramps, PopPop, Opa, Abuelo, Ojisan, Grand-père, Nonno, maybe Bubby or even Grumpy? Were you
allowed to name him, or was it just what everyone else called him?
Grandfathers delight in passing down the
things they love to do. Many times they’re the things the parents are just too
busy for now, but will probably pass on to their grandchildren when the time
comes. Kids love to follow Grandpa into his workshop, be it wood, metal,
garage, or even into the kitchen. They especially love to help him in the
garden. Many a baby vegetable has been sacrificed in the pursuit of helping to
pull weeds.
Children love to go on trips, one-on-one if
possible, with their Grandfathers. They love it when he takes them fishing, or
sailing, or even to meet up with an old pal. They love to just mess about with
him, fix this or that, maybe go down to the stream or go get an ice cream in
town.
The majority of us Seniors have grandchildren, and having them, especially if they live nearby, is
one of our great delights.
J.V Milne and his Grandson, Christopher Robin. Oh, and Pooh is there too. |
Here are several quick quotes by and about
grandfathers:
Now that I'm a grandfather myself, I realize
that the best thing about having grandkids is that you get the kid for the best
part of the ride - kind of like owning a car for only the first 10,000 miles.
You can have your grandchildren for a couple of days and then turn them back
over to the parents. -- Willard Scott
There are fathers who do not
love their children; there is no grandfather who does not adore his grandson. --Victor
Hugo
To a small child, the perfect
granddad is unafraid of big dogs and fierce storms but absolutely terrified of
the word boo. -- Robert Brault
More
and more, when I single out the person out who inspired me most, I go back to
my grandfather. -- James Earl Jones
What
children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance.
They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in
life. And, most importantly, cookies. -- Rudolph
Giuliani
2009 - Say is known to this granddaughter as PopPop. |
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