"A grandpa is someone you never outgrow your need for."
I don't know who said that first but isn’t that true?
I still miss my grandpa and he’s been gone for more than eight years.
My children, though, are blessed to still have three grandfathers in their lives.
There’s Grandpa, their dad’s dad, who lives on the other side of town.
There’s Papaw, my daddy, who lives in North Carolina.
And there’s Grampie, my stepfather, who lives about 20 minutes from us here in Ohio.
Grandpa is at our house pretty much on a daily basis. He is a tall, imposing guy with a quick wit and a whacky sense of humor. He makes up goofy stories for the kids about an aardvark and a pink gorilla that drives a bus.
He also calls them pet names like “whippersnapper” and “little creep.” One of my baby Jedidiah’s first words was “Gam-pa!”
Grandpa likes to steal food off their plates when they aren’t looking.
He reads them Bible stories and lets them climb all over him.
He takes them out to look at Christmas lights every year (and then out for ice cream.)
He teaches them jokes and pretends that the ones they make up are funny.
They see their Papaw less frequently since he lives in another state but we visit and talk with him regularly.
He is a strong, hardworking, quiet man who grew up on a farm. The kids know all the stories about when he was growing up because I’ve recounted them all.
When we visit he lets them ride on the farm tractor with him. He sits in the back seat of the van and has tickle fights with them while they all sing “The Battle of New Orleans.”
He lets them steal his cap and then he snatches it back and whacks them on top of the head with it and tells them they’re “oofy.” He fixes things, builds things and lets them “help” when he works outside. Jed calls him “Pap-ow Tact-tor.”
Papaw takes them for walks through the woods.
He takes them to feed the ducks.
He shows them how to make scarecrows and kites.
He laughs at their silly stories.
Grampie lives about 20 minutes away and though he doesn’t come over very much, the kids don’t mind because they would much rather go to his house anyway.
They love to spend the weekend there, snuggling with Grampie Don on the couch while they watch cartoons. They love to play ambulance with him (they fall down and he picks them up, spinning around and wailing like an ambulance.)
They like to have “Donfires” in the back yard (he roasts a great marshmallow.) When the girls play dress up, he pretends to be the prince and he twirls them around and calls them his little sweethearts. Jed calls him “Pop Pop.”
Grampie calls the kids just to say hello.
He buys them candy at the store.
He pushes them on the swing in the backyard.
He takes them on “shopping sprees” for their birthdays.
Three very different men. Three very different types of grandfathers.
Three of the most important people in my children’s lives.
Happy (Grand)father’s Day to all of you Grandpas, Papaws and Pop Pops out there. We will never outgrow you.
-from my 6/17/12 article for www.mentorpatch.com
