Getting ready to go

This time next week Jim and I will have just arrived in Paris, France. There is so much to do and so little time....When the kids were little and we would leave to go on trips, I would make arrangements for them to go to friends' or grandparent's homes or for one of the grandmothers to come stay with them. I found it necessary to write a novel to explain routines, rules, routes and reasons for each child's needs. My mother would always laugh about my book-writing, exclaiming that she knew how to raise kids, but then she would faithfully stick to the "book" for directions and schedules...especially if she was here in Houston keeping them. Her greatest fear was not the children, their needs, their schedules or their "unique" personality demands, but it was the going to and from places....specific directions to and from baseball practice or games, swim team practices or meets, birthday parties, school and church events.

I always felt I needed to give my mom VERY specific traveling directions.....go to the 2nd traffic light, where you will see Randall's grocery store on your right and a Shell gas station on your left....I don't know if it was that I didn't trust my mom, or that I wanted her not to feel anxious about driving in the 4th largest city in the US or if I gave directions the way I like to be given directions. Whatever the reason, it seemed like while we were away, she never got lost more than once or twice....which for my mom was pretty good! But ya know, regardless of how many times she got lost or how frustrated she became with the children (or them frustrated with her) or how many things I would have planned that she needed to do, when the week was all said and done, she would go home and then be willing and ready to come back the next time we needed her.

My mom was not the PERFECT grandmother, for sure, but she sure tried to be a good one and was willing to be there for her grandchildren and that meant the world to me.

Now that I am a grandmom (or "mom-mom" as Madi calls me!), I realize now just how much a grandparent dearly loves her grandchildren....what a precious bond like no other. I may not be the best grandmom, but I hope as my grandchildren grow I will be able to be there for them when they need me and when their parents need me to be there for them. I recall what a precious gift that was to me....I only hope I can pass that gift along to my children.

So, in preparation for this trip, there will be no books of instructions for Mama about the children....but I am sure I will have plenty of instructions for SOMEONE (or several someones) regarding my Harbor family, Lucy, the dog, and my dad. Will I ever get to where I can just get up and go somewhere with no one to be "responsible" for? I hope not!