“What a Grandmother Is.”
The little girl said, “A grandma is a lady who has no children of her own, so she loves other people’s little girls. A grandfather is a man grandma. He goes for walks with the boys, and they talk about fishing, tractors, etc. Grandmas have nothing else to do but be there. They are old, so they should not play hard or run.
“They just have to take us to the market where the pretend horse is and have lots of dimes ready. Or when they go for walks with us, they should slow down past things like pretty leaves or caterpillars. They should never, ever say hurry up. “Usually they’re fat, but not too fat to tie up kids’ shoes. They wear glasses and funny underwear.
They can take off their teeth and gums. They don’t have to be smart, just answer the questions about why dogs hate cats and why God isn’t married. They don’t talk the baby talk like visitors do, because it is hard to understand. When they read to us, they don’t skip or care if it is the same story again.
“Then she finished, ‘Everyone should try to have [a grandma], especially if you don’t have a TV because grandmas are the only adults who have the time. ”
Sandra has told us what kids value most in adults: someone who is kind appreciates the finer things in life and isn’t too busy to love a kid.
