Grandparents

        Linda and I met half a lifetime ago.  Our families were both camping at Molas Lake, a little piece of Colorado heaven between Durango and Silverton.  She shared with me a manuscript of a book she'd written (which I read on a rainy day in our pop up while she took my children on a hike) and we discovered so many things in common that we knew we were destined to be friends.  Our parents had the same wedding anniversary; we both had a flower girl in our weddings named Tammy; we both had a brother named Bob.

        Beyond that, we were both reading the same book the day we met: Prince of Tides, and we were on the same page!  And on the way to Molas Lake, we'd both read the same children's book to our sons.  The coincidences kept unrolling, like the film on our old cameras, and we took pictures of each other, knowing we'd keep in touch when they went back to Cape Cod and we went back to Texas.

        Letters written on paper continued until the advent of e-mail.  When we both got set up to start e-mail, Linda resisted.  I assured her we'd keep sending letters by snail mail, but I was wrong.  Like almost everyone else, we moved into the electronic age, and now--except for birthday cards in June and October, our letters are all e-letters.

       Today I got an e-mail from her that described her special relationship with her grandparents and I asked her if I could share it here.  Next to animals and people, one of the things Linda loves most is riding roller coasters.  Reading this letter, I'm reminded of where that love of coasters began--with her Nana and Grampa:

      I loved the photos of Nathan and Elena with the flags. I can't wait to hear about the day Nathan spends with you, "Just you, nobody else."  I loved that he was able to express that.  It's so important to create individual time for each grandchild.  

      My grandparents were great at that.  They seemed to know our individual interests and needs without even having to express them.  Even when it came to Christmas shopping.  They would set a night to take the four of us shopping in downtown Worcester.  It was glorious in its heyday, lights and amazing storefronts, creche on the common, carols singing, bells ringing, and of course my glasses fogging up every time we went into a store from the cold air.  

        I especially loved Denholms with the big revolving door and escalators, and of course Santa was always there just waiting for us to have our photo op with him!  But what I loved was they would split up, each taking turns to let us shop for every member of the family with our nickels and dimes, usually at Newberry's or Woolworths, so we could afford our trinkets and treasures we wanted to give.  We'd meet back up and knew we held secret gifts in our bags, smirking at one another with knowledge the others didn't have.  

         Nana and Grampa knew I loved macaroni and cheese and the boys liked Chinese food...so Nana and I would go to Waldorf's for their famous mac and cheese with pimiento, and the boys and Grampa would go to Chinx, the Chinese Restaurant close by.  

          Summers we enjoyed at their summer camp and the beaches in New Hampshire and Maine.  Hampton Beach, Wells Beach, and Old Orchard Beach.  Old Orchard was famous for the amusement park and pier over the water.  Riding the ferris wheel high up looking at ocean waves was always a highlight.  Grampa would take the boys on the roller coaster, I was only big enough for the small one back then.  Nana and I would  play skeeball in the arcade.  

           Each one of us knew, without a doubt, that we were uniquely special in their eyes.  They were our anchors and safe harbors and the biggest mentors you could ever ask for.