Becoming a Grandparent

Becoming a grandparent can be just as exciting and sometimes just as surprising as becoming a parent. I wasn't exactly expecting to become a grandmother when my seventeen year old son informed me that he was going to be a father. My feelings were mixed. I was happy about the child but I was worried about my son's newfound impending role as a parent. The first thoughts that entered my mind was that I wasn't old enough to be a grandmother and he certainly wasn't old enough to be a father! I couldn't imagine my child being a parent. Now he was suddenly going to be confronted with the responsibilities of being an adult. I knew that there would be so much that he would need to learn so quickly. I wasn't sure if he would be able to deal with the pressure of being a parent. I was overwhelmed by the flood of thoughts and emotions running through my mind. I kept thinking about all the needs he would have to fulfill. He wasn't financially secure. Would he be mature enough to handle such responsibility? He wasn't even an adult yet? How would he raise a child and support a family?

My son was very happy and excited that he would soon be a father. As a parent, we tend to give our children instructions on every aspect of life but we can't live it for them. All we can do as parents is to guide our children and try to set a good example. I found myself instructing my son and his girlfriend in being parents. They had plenty of questions and I had an ample supply of answers. I relived my own childbirth experiences through stories that I told to them. Soon the time arrived for the child to be born and we were all thrilled when my baby granddaughter came into the world. Now my son began seeing things in a new perspective. The unruly child who was always goofing off was suddenly instructing the adults in how to behave around his newborn daughter. He was always saying things like "Be quiet, the baby's sleeping" or "Please don't smoke in the house around the baby."

I would just watch and quietly smile. I was amazed at the change parenthood can bring about. As for becoming a grandparent, it seemed odd to be holding an infant again and changing diapers. I realized that it didn't make me feel old at all but rather young again. It's been a couple of years now since my granddaughter was born and I now have a young grandson also. My son works full-time and the children's mother attends college. They have their own home and their family life is content. Children can have such a profound impact upon our lives that they change us in ways we never imagined possible. It's truly wonderful how a tiny little being can cause such a metamorphosis in the people around them; perhaps that's the true miracle of birth. I have learned that being a grandparent is another extension of life and love. It's a joy watching my family grow.