Greater than Gold

I've heard about the joys of grandparenting all my life. I thought my parents had had an invasion of the body snatchers when they started acquiring those little people. When my siblings and I were growing up, there was no snacking between meals and definitely no candy around the house. All of a sudden, my parents had a candy jar. It was enormous. In the early years of grandparenting, they'd dole out 2 or 3 pieces at a time, but it relaxed along the way until there were things said like, "You can only have 10 pieces!" We were checking their pulses to see if there was anything wrong with these aliens who had taken over our parents' bodies. 

But then we got grandchildren...a passel of them. We have 9 grandchildren ages 8 and under, with 2 on the way. Today, I saw a family picture that was about 10 years old. There were no babies, none on the way, everyone looking young and tight and rested. Then the tsunami of life hit and we're bustin' out at the seams, oh so sweetly. I don't have a candy jar, because I'm a sugar addict and I'd like to live to see them grow up...but I do have Juicy Fruit gum (the essential ingredient for all Grandmas) in my purse and they know all about how to get it. 

I got a visit from some of them today. We languished on the porch with them in our laps, looking at pictures and talking a mile a minute. They are all growing up so fast it's scary. I was struck this morning, especially when it was time for them to go and you get those last squeezes out...how medicinal children are to your soul. I've been feeling sorta sorry for myself these last few days, post-surgery and with joints hurting like nothing I've ever experienced. Those kids show up and it is literally like a balm on my soul and body. The joy and wellspring of life that gushes out of them, making time stand still for a bit and causing you to remember why you started this whole thing so long ago. There are no greater treasures than a human soul. If you get to claim one (or eleven) for your own, that's even better.