Grandparents Day. My all-time favorite school event. I enjoy it more than Parent's Day. I've missed only one since my children have attended Sts. Peter and Paul.
The day begins with a Mass for all attending the event. Then it's over to the school to be entertained by each class about how much the students love their grandparents. When my parents attended the day when Erika was in kindergarten, her class entertained us to the tune of "You are my Sunshine...only the words changed to honor their grandparents and ended with, "Please don't take my grandparents away." Tearing up, I knew I wasn't the only one who was touched by those words.
This year Danielle had to write a story using all of her senses. The teacher's chosen topic was to describe what they feel, taste, touch and smell when they are at their grandparent's house. Danielle came home and shared her dilemma of not remembering enough about her grandparents' house to write a story about it. I recommended she use The Commons where her grandpa lived for the past five years. "But, that's not a house," she refuted, "that's an apartment. Can I use Jody and Brian's house? They have a big house and I can write about Jody's smoked turkey." Showing outward excitement about her choice, my heart ached a little. I applauded her decision and we began brainstorming.
On a recent visit to the school, I stopped to read the finished projects of her class on this topic. In the upper left corner of the wall, was the lone paper titled, "My Aunt and Uncle's House." Thankful, it wasn't in the center, I attempted to read the rest of the literary art titled, "My Grandparents House." Staring at those 13 titles, I never read one. My heart broke, I began to tear up and by the time I was in my car, my tears flowed quickly and I cried all the way home.
My kids are blessed they have surrogate grandparents in Linda and Lew. I'm grateful, each year, they are wrapped in the arms of an aunt or uncle who loves them just as much as a grandparent on this day. When Kathy represented my dad in his absence last year, he said to me, "If I knew Kathy was going, I would have liked to go, too. I suppose it's too much work." Regretfully, I hadn't asked him since he said, "I'm just not up to it, Julie Ann," after my mom died. To make things easier on both of us, I never asked him again. Now I can't.
Armed with my camera, I'll be at this event again this year. Basking in the happiness of every child, including my own, I will take candid and posed shots of children interacting with their grandparents. Joy will fill my heart as many grandparents ask, "Can I get a copy of that picture? and some will even say, "I will pay you." It happens every year. My smiling response is always, "There is no cost and I will make sure I send a copy to your grandchild's teacher and they will get it to you." I'll think about how my mom called each of her grandchildren as"treasures," and I will reflect knowing that's what my photos will mean to the grandparents who receive them.
I know this year's Grandparents Day will be my toughest yet, it will also be Danielle's last at the school. While Danielle and Carley will be well represented by their aunts Linda and Patty and Uncle Don, this year will be different. Both sets of grandparents will be able to enjoy the day together, sharing in their pride and joy as they look upon their treasures from heaven.
It will be the first time my children will have all of their grandparents with them on this day.
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