The Grandparent Lottery

I didn't exactly hit the grandparent lottery. It's okay, they're all dead now, so I can say it. Well, wait, one isn't, but she refuses to talk to me, I guess that just proves my point: I didn't hit the grandparent lottery.

Proof:

Mother's Father, Pepaw - He was very good to me but died when I was a toddler (though by all accounts I was his favorite grandchild.

Mother's Mother - Recently died, but never much cared for my mom, and as such never much cared for us (myself or my sister).

Father's Father - Cold, withdrawn WWII vet. I think he was probably always a cold and withdrawn person, but the war didn't help much.

Father's Mother - Quit talking to me several years ago because she thought my step-dad was going to (and rightfully) walk me down the aisle.

Step-Father's Parents - Father not in picture for many years, and then died shortly after meeting us. His mother rented us a hotel room when we visited so we didn't stay in her house. Yes, you read that correctly.

Honestly, until I met Erik's grandparents I had no idea what real, warm grandparents were like (ya know, like the kind who actually call you on your birthday. Or at all...). When I think of them, I think of a line in a Keith Urban song that says "And people that I barely knew, they love me 'cause I'm part of you. Yeah, it's hard to figure." They loved me before they met me, just because Erik did. Not because of who I am or something I did, but because we're family. Which is honestly more than I can say for my own Grandparents. They're precious.

As are my own children's grandparents. Each of them loves my kids just as much as I do (which I'm assuming is how it's supposed to be but can't say for certain, because... ya know...), and does something special for them each chance they get (and I don't just mean sneaking them extra desserts, though they do that too *cough, cough*).

But the "something special" that has brought on this post is a video Erik's dad made for G. Ken travels to Africa for work (and to hunt) several times a year. Last time, he went in hopes of shooting a second zebra and all throughout the trip when G would mention calling Papa we'd say "He's in Africa," and G would say "Papa TWO zebras!" so the next time Pat and Ken came for a visit, Ken brought G not one but two stuffed zebras from Africa. This time, Ken and the folks he's traveling with, have been documenting the steps of their journey in a video blog for the Facebook page of the company they work for, and Grant has been ALL over those videos! When Ken emailed me a photo for G of him with his second zebra to show G (he didn't get it last time), (and yes, the bullet hole seems to have been on the opposite side of the zebra than the side photographed. Haha!), I told him how G has been devouring the videos on the Facebook page. The next day I had a video in my inbox just for G, from Papa in Africa. G calls it his Africa show now. All Ken talks about in it is the animals they've seen and how they eat lots of good food and take naps in the afternoon when it's too hot to hunt, but G thinks it's just about the best "show" ever. At the beginning, Ken says "Hi, Grant!" and G smiles and waves to the computer screen, and says "Hi Papa!" It was such a sweet gesture, and makes G so happy that I often tear up during the video thinking of how lucky my kids are to have four grandparents who love them just as desperately as their parents do.

So like I said. I didn't win the grandparent lottery, but my kids surely did. And that's even better if you ask me.