Grandparents – Grandview

I knew three of my grandparents. My grandmothers died when I was 18, my grandfather when I was 42. Knowing them is amongst the greatest blessings of my life. In fact, I’m a strong fan of having or being a grandparent (or a significant wise older person). On Thursday we celebrate the Feast of Joachim and Anne, Jesus’ grandparents. What do we know about them? Nothing much, but we can look at the best of our experience and imagine what they could have meant to Jesus.

One of the blessings I received from my grandparents was the gift of the longer view. All of them had had tough lives and, in varying ways, made what they could of it, not necessarily successfully. But they delighted to live long enough to pass on to another generation some of their wisdom. One piece was that things do change. As bad as a situation may be, it will change, and we, somehow, have the opportunity to learn and grow from what happens to us. When young, as children, or young, as parents, there is the tendency to ‘absolutise’ our problems – they are the worst, they will not change. Dad’s Mum used to say to us when we got hurt and cried, “Don’t worry, you’ll live to be twice married.” I still use that saying.

If your children don’t have the blessing of grandparents, do try to find some wise older person, with whom they could develop a relationship. Their longer experience on life can help to gain the vision of the Grandview on Life.

Loving God, you sent your Son Jesus to live in a human family. Bless our families, especially our grandparents. Let us know that whatever the challenges we have, all will change, except the constancy of your love which enfolds us. We ask this in Jesus’ name confident that you will hear us.