If I had a time machine…

Or, If I had a crystal ball….

It’s hard sometimes to find a title for my posts. Often there is a mad jumble of thoughts and emotions when I sit down to write and to make sense of it can be a challenge.

I had my grandchildren for the weekend, and we have had a lovely time. We have been op shopping with my cousin, and everyone got some bargains. It’s just as much fun pulling out and showing each other some of the things you wouldn’t wear as it is finding a wee treasure. There’s been lots of laughter on that outing and it was nice to share the fun with my cousin and the grandies.

We have sat and watched a family movie together and two of the girls and I sat in the spa pool talking about loads of stuff that wouldn’t have come to light if we were watching TV.

We’ve eaten fish and chips and yummy ice-creams. We’ve picnicked.

Today we have had fun baking together, with each of the girls having their turn to make their own cookies. My goodness, but they are a competitive lot! Each saying theirs was the best and pressing Nanna and Grampy to choose! I was careful to score each the same, as I didn’t want to be party to sibling rivalry in that way! I have made them all promise that when I become too old or unwell to bake for them that they will bring me chocolate chip cookies they have made from my recipe!

Now, I grew up as the youngest of four children and the only girl. My daughter as the youngest of three and only girl. As it has always been and always will be, constant harmony is not possible between siblings. There have been a few moments of bickering and that’s to be expected, because I know we all did it with our siblings. I know when they are amongst it and angry or nursing hurt feelings, it is hard for children to believe that one day the person you are at odds with, could one day turn out to be your best friend! Hearing their Nanna say that she had fights with her brothers and now they love to be together as adults, they look at you as if you might be slightly mad!

I wish I had a time machine to take them back in time to when their mother and uncles were children and to see that the Uncle – who passed away in 2020 – that they loved so dearly, and their mother also fought and weren’t always the best of friends. That my other son and their mother were either best buddies walking around arm in arm or couldn’t stand the sight of each other!

I’d take them back to when my brothers used to tell me to go away and that I was their annoying little sister that they never wanted to play with. That I was hurt and lonely and confused by their not wanting to be with me.

Then they might see and understand that much as they have fights with each other and cross words, that there will come a day when they will realise that actually they do love each other. That, if they don’t see each other for a while, they will really miss them, just as I miss my brothers.

I wish I had a crystal ball too, so that I could look into the future and see them as their adult selves, loving each other and wanting to be together. I hope that I am still around long enough to see this and hopefully to see them with their children and sharing their lives together.

It’s been a lovely weekend and the fact that there was a small proportion of that time where they were at odds doesn’t change that. I’m not judging them for falling out, far from it! I hope that their main memory from our time together has been the fun and laughter we have had together.

So, having returned three tired children to their mother, their very tired Nanna is sitting at her computer writing her blog before making a very lazy dinner.

Looking forward to the next time I have my fabulous granddaughters back again for more mischief and mayhem.