11 Oct Chronicles of the travelling Grandma

“I’m on the road again…”

When Willie Nelson wrote those words, I am sure that he was talking about me. You see, I am a TRAVELLING GRANDMA, and it is the road that carries me and Grandpa to see our wonderful grandchildren.

 It all started when our daughters fell in love with men who lived in different cities than their own.

“Go,” I told each one of them.

“You must make your own lives now. Don’t worry about Daddy and me. Make a home of your own, lives of your own. Don’t worry; we will always come to visit you wherever you are.”

What was I thinking?

What was I smoking or drinking that allowed me to utter those words with conviction?

I can only blame it on my mother who said those exact words to me!

And so it happened. Each daughter moved away, of course to different cities in different parts of North America. My husband and I drove to stay with them, family dog in tow. To their credit, they each provided us with a comfortable room and were/are always hospitable.

And why shouldn’t they be?

We shlep food, medication, furniture and clothing to them.

And then came the babies!

Could this woman be other than present when a grandchild was born?

We are talking about our daughter’s babies.

Of course not!

When the first was due to be born, we rented an apartment to be close enough while not encroaching on the new family. That was the hottest summer ever…and I did the food shopping and carried the parcels up the stairs in that duplex. There were mornings when I didn’t think that I would make it, but that baby and her mother had to be fed nourishing food. And so the story continues to the birth of a second grandchild and a third grandchild.

How fortunate we were and are to this day.

My husband and I  just look at each other and say, “Let’s go,” and we did and still do. We need a fix of hugs and kisses and squeezes and giggles, the kind that can only be supplied by delicious grandchildren. I nuzzle into their necks to remember their smells because that will have to sustain me during the weeks between visits.

Stay tuned for further adventures and magical moments in the Chronicles of the Travelling Grandparents.

-Didi Marks

Didi Marks is an educator who left the classroom and developed a private practice specializing in remediation and learning skills coaching.  She is currently retired and divides her time between Toronto and Florida with her husband Alan of 53 years and their 13 year old dog Sugar.   Didi has two daughters, three grandchildren, and two grand-dogs.  Unfortunately, her daughters’ families live in cities that are in opposite directions, which necessitates long drives on a regular basis.  In her spare time Didi can be found doing aqua-aerobics, playing bridge, reading, and baking her famous “killer-brownies” and “car-cookies” to bring to her grandchildren.