This was the book my son brought home to read last week. Level K. Should be Level L, but that is an ongoing argument with the teacher who thinks he has to understand what he is reading! How absurd!
The boxcar kids are 4 orphans. I do not know how they got that way, that is how we meet them. In 2010, a lot of the books my son brings home are so far outdated as to be laughable. This is one of them. The one that talked about the white man and the Indian, I actually filed a complaint with the teacher. We do not refer to people as colors in this house.
Anyway, I digress. My point is, at one point in the book, one of the kids talks about them having a grandfather that doesn’t want them. My son put down the book and said that was not possible. He was very adamant in stating the grandpas only have loads of love for their grand kids and the story was somehow wrong. I explained this would be cleared up later in the story (I hoped!). Again, my son found the thought that a grandpa did not love his grand kids as unacceptable!
I was happy to find this out.
I was thrilled beyond belief that my son had a deep feeling that love from his grandpas was 100%. I am sure it is the same for the grandmas, I know by the way he behaves with them, but this story mentioned the grandpas so that is our topic. Again, he was adamant. Me, I was just listening to make sure he read the words correctly, barely paying attention, he was the one who stopped abruptly with great umbridge to announce that what he was reading was not possible.
My son has 2 grandpas. I was never so fortunate, but I know from having seen the first grand kid arrive for my family and my spouse’s family, grand parenthood is the supreme gift. By the way, that is why I am busting my butt, that is the thing I am looking for to make my life feel like it has gone full circle. Just not to soon son!
Anyway, both grandpas treat my son different. One calls him several times a week to say hello. I think that is wonderful. The other grandpa is a carbon copy of my son’s primary caregiver (me!) so there is an instant love in that regard. So much so, that my dad once remarked that none of the grand kids ever warmed up to him on a visit as fast as my son did. Yeah, cause its like my dad and I are twins! I always made my son look right at my face when I gave him his baby bottle. It’s all about marketing!
I was just so thrilled that my son knew so clearly, on the deepest level, this feeling of love from his grandpas, this unconditional love, this love without question, that we all could use!
I loved this post. Paul is so blessed to have two loving grandpas in his life! How wonderful.
This is random, but I hope I have an opportunity to meet your dad one day. He sounds so cool! 🙂
You know what’s funny, I used to read The Boxcar Children series when I was a girl, and I loved their adventures. As an adult, looking back, I had no idea it was filled with that type of stuff. I guess a sign of the times then!