Grandparenting:

I was born at a very early age and becoming a grandpa wasn't something I had set out to become. Actually, becoming a grandparent was really quite easy for me. One minute I wasn't and the next minute I was! I'm thinking that you understand what I'm saying here.

I do believe that making a decision to become a grandpa took a lot more effort on my part. I'm not sure at what point in my life I willingly made that decision, but I know that I did make it. That decision wasn't because of something that I did or even an age level that I achieved. It was something asked of me by a little First Grader who wasn't even mine; but I love her just like she is. But that's another story. So what I want to say goes something like this.......

He was called "Mr. Bisbee". He was almost 70 years of age. His face was wrinkled from smiling so much over the years. He had a laugh that sounded like glass breaking. It cracked when he spoke and made the kids laugh just to hear it! I often wondered if his shaking hand was caused by the early stages of Parkinson's Disease. Whatever it was, it never got him down.

He regularly backpacked and camped whenever Boy Scout Troop 4 went out. He was loved and appreciated by the Scouts. He reminded me of a grandpa. To some of the boys, he was probably the only grandpa figure they had in their life.

Whenever we were on campouts, the Scouts were divided up into Patrols, which were smaller groups of similar ages with structured leadership. The Patrols each planned their own meals, cooked their own food and did their chores as required. The boys would bring Mr. Bisbee samples of their culinary creations, whether it was a sliced hot dog with cheese, chili, biscuits on a stick, fruit cobbler, or whatever their creation was.

It was like a formal presentation. The boys gathered around Mr. Bisbee as he sampled their delight; anxious faces awaiting approval from this wiry old man. He would take a smell, then a bite, then slowly savor the taste as he looked up into the sky. He always swallowed, licked his lips then looked into the eyes of the anxious boys.

His grin was priceless. He always had a good word to say about the food and commended their creativity. He thanked them for doing a good job and told them how great they were. Sometimes accompanying his laugh was a hug or a pat on the head.

During the daytime, around the campfire, he always had a joke for them. Mr. Bisbee had a way with telling jokes that it didn't matter if the joke was funny or not! Even if he had told it a dozen times before, Mr. Bisbee would always end it with his glass breaking laughter. That's all it took to start a chain reaction of laughter and bring on a dozen smiles from the boys.

He encouraged the boys in whatever they were doing. A worthless craft could be miraculously transformed into something of value simply because of what he said about it. He gave advice, led by example and laughed a lot! To these boys, his smile could take away the winter chill and make the sun shine on a rainy day. He was a mentor. He connected with their hearts.

He could do the 100 mile backpacking trips and be the evenings' entertainment with his stories and jokes. Rarely does anyone like Mr. Bisbee come along in a boy's life.

I wanted to be like Mr. Bisbee. I worked hard to tell the stories, or play the harmonica like he played, do the hikes, tie the 40 knots and connect with the boys. I did somewhat succeed, but that's another story.

I don't know much about being a grandma, but I do remember my "Granny" with all good thoughts. She was firm and opinionated. She seldom thought my Mom was taking good enough care of her son. But I have good memories of Granny. I enjoyed going to stay all night with her, all by myself. She was a good cook. Her house was warm and smelled good. Her farm had a lot of stuff for me to explore. She was kind and I remember her hugs.

Being a grandparent is a journey in love and learning. Just about the time you think you're getting it down, along comes a glitch big enough to put you back in grandpa school. But I wouldn't trade it for anything!

I have several grandkids. I'm really not sure how many I have! But three of those belong to my daughter. It seems to me that all of the energy I lost over the years...they found it!

Being a grandparent is an awesome responsibility. Whether you know it or not, you are being watched by little eyes. You may or may not be related to those eyes. It doesn't really matter. You have the power to lift a child high into the air or to dash his hopes upoon the rocks of despair. You are the one who can open a doorway for a child that no other adult can open. You can tell him about God when no one else can get through.

Perhaps when he turns 18 and goes before the Eagle Scout Board of Review and he's asked the question, "Who do you feel was the single most influence in your life", and he names your name, I can tell you from experience that nothing else matters. You could receive no greater reward than that.

It's a lot of work to become a surrogate grandpa to a friend's child who looks up to you and believes that you can do no wrong. It takes a lot of work to become a kind of grandma who's grandson or daughter desires to spend time with her, especially when he or she is a teenager! It takes a lot of work to become a Mr. Bisbee and help mould a boy's life into a man.

Whatever you do as a grandparent you can have an eternal influence on a child. Whether you realize it or not, you are being watched and mimicked. By the way you live your life, what are you saying to children? Are you making a difference in their life? Do you fill in the gap that's missing in their world?

Grandparenting is fun! Don't let it pass you by! It is like the vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.

Kids......enjoy your grandparents! There is not much time left. Have fun with them today!

Chow!