On Being Oma

Being Oma is the best thing ever! I loved my kids deeply and was fascinated by their every move as infants, but there is a world of difference between being a parent and a grandparent. I'm not sleep-deprived or recovering from a difficult birth. The baby's entire existence doesn't depend on me. Opa and I provide as much support as we can, but mostly I get to swoop in and cuddle and coo until my heart's overflowing, then hand that precious bundle back to his parents. It's really the perfect set-up. When the parents are worn-out, we show up and everyone's really glad to see us. Especially the ones who immediately run out of the house to decompress for a bit. We then have the chance to get to find out who this child is when he's not also interacting with his parents. We get to love and encourage and build a relationship with the next generation. Have you noticed that as a grandparent, you are sooo much calmer than you were as a parent? Time and experience provide a much longer view of what seems like a crisis. Basically, an awful lot boils down to This Too Shall Pass. ¬Don't you wish you could have been that relaxed with your own kids? Especially the first one! It makes me feel as though I've learned something on this journey, gained some measure of wisdom. I find myself saying, "It's going to be okay." "You'll get the hang of it." "You're doing great!" And it's the truth and I mean it. Sometimes it even seems to help. As an added bonus ... well, I've never told anyone this, but I read mysteries constantly growing up (still do, actually) and I always thought it would be great to be a spy. At least now I've got the alias. It's a start.