This may sound bad, but…

This may sound bad, but…

I was thinking today about my family. Particularly, my adult children and my grandchildren. I have two remaining children – my eldest son passed away unexpectedly in 2020 – and six grandchildren, a ‘set’ of three girls in one family and three boys in the other.

It occurred to me when thinking about them all that while I have had 30+ years with my children, I am unlikely to have as much time with their children. I have many memories to fall back on of bringing up my three children, both happy and not so happy. But, they are memories just the same and even the ‘not so happy’ have made us all the people we are today.

So, I have had time to make lots of memories with my kids and those I – and my children – will have always. In some ways, it makes it even more important to spend time with my grandchildren than my own adult children. That’s the ‘may sound bad’ bit. Not that I love my children any less, but I feel the need to soak up every bit of my time with my grandchildren. At 61 years of age – and with Parkinson’s – I doubt I will have 30+ years with them. So, I am consciously trying to pack in as much time with them as I can. To make memories, share laughter, hugs and experiences together. Those experiences are not necessarily involving spending loads of money, but spending lots of time with them and that is a treasure.

So, I love my children deeply – all three of them – and cherish our time together, but if I wasn’t here tomorrow I hope that I have built enough memories to keep me in their hearts and minds for the future. I only hope I can do the same for my grandchildren perhaps for the next 20 years maybe?

that’s not me in the picture by the way…