Little Hands, Big Love: Cherishing the Early Years

There’s something about those early years with our grandchildren that feels almost magical.
The chubby little hands reaching for ours, the giggles that fill the house, the way a simple game or story becomes the biggest adventure. These moments, though they sometimes feel ordinary at the time, become the memories that stay with us forever.

For me, some of the sweetest memories come from the simplest things.
Reading stories together has always been a favorite. We’d pile onto the couch with a stack of books, sometimes reading the same ones over and over because they loved them so much. Their little voices “reading” the stories back to me, often with their own creative twists, still make me smile.

Playing “restaurant” was another favorite.
Even though, let me tell you, they never seemed to have what I ordered! I’d pretend to grumble, and they’d giggle and rush off to “check the kitchen,” only to come back and offer me something completely different. It’s those silly, everyday moments that built bonds I wouldn’t trade for the world.

A Story Close to My Heart
Life also brought big moments that I’ll never forget.
There was a time when both of my daughters were pregnant at the same time, one living in Georgia and the other close to home. I flew down to Georgia, excited to meet my first granddaughter. I didn’t quite make it in time to see her birth, but I was there shortly after to hold her in my arms.
As I was sitting in the airport waiting to fly home, my phone rang with news that my second grandchild had arrived.

It was a stressful, emotional whirlwind, but in the end, my heart was overflowing.
Today, I’m blessed with five beautiful grandchildren: two girls and three boys, including a lively set of twins. Each one has filled my life with more laughter, learning, and love than I could have ever imagined.

It’s this: make time.
Life is busy. There are always errands to run, things to clean, and to-do lists a mile long. But when it comes to our grandkids, the best thing we can give them is our time.

Because those little hands won’t always be so little.
And the memories we make now, the silly games, the cozy storytimes, the lazy afternoons, will stay with them (and us) forever.