Seasoned Grandma Tip #12 ~ Cherish Each Stage, Each Stop! –

TIME is a concept that, I think, grandparents are very tuned into.

We watched our own children move through their stages of life, but we were so busy being parents with moment-to-moment care and responsibilities that TIME often seemed to whirl along in colors and motion and sounds like a high-speed passenger train.

With grandkids, we’ve slowed down that speeding train to more of a steam engine, hopping on and off at each stop, tuning into each whistle, reveling in the clack-clacking of the rails of life with magnificent panoramic views along the excursion.

And it’s the hopping on and off at each stop that makes all the difference!

Yesterday, at a swim meet, I felt this magic of a new place, a new stage, a new platform – in a place and stage and platform I had been before – in the most amazing way.

TIME truly did stand still for me.

TIME is accommodating like this with grandparents.

We step aboard when that grandchild is born and TIME slows down that train for us.

My 16-year old granddaughter Taylor was swimming her last summer league dual-meet (competitors age-out after 16) yesterday at a pool where she began swimming 9 years ago. I so clearly remember Taylor swimming at that pool as a little girl, competing in the swim meets, celebrating with her team, honing her swim skills and always smiling.

I remember that stage in Taylor’s life like it’s today.

Grandparents own that magic. It’s like we’re riding in boxcars with the doors wide open for capturing unparalleled memories.

I thought it would be fun to take photos of Taylor at her last dual meet at this summertime pool…

And something from these photos handed me a ticket back a few years to a different stage, a different stop in Taylor’s life. When I arrived home, I put on my conductor’s hat and engineered my way back to this photo of Taylor (green cap)… same pool, same lane, same finish, same moment!

Yep.

Grandparents are gandy dancers all right!

We stop. We listen. We remember. We do track maintenance.

And we ride, ride, ride those wonderful years.

Because we can!

As we watch them fly…