A Spiritual Grandma

I am joining the world of bloggers hoping that something I write will help someone, somewhere. I've heard that it's essential, especially if one wants to promote her book. And I do. I want people to read my book because I enjoyed writing it, and I would love it if people enjoy reading it.

Today I am in Mexico City. One six-hour flight took me from reading to my two-year-old grandchild to reading to my 99-year-old father. I'd heard that old-age is a second childhood, and it is, so I find myself saying the same things to him as I did to my grandson. "Be careful with the stairs." "Can you eat one more bite?" And hoping that he sleeps in mornings.

I have nothing profound to say about this, just that I notice the similarities. And I am closer to the second stage than the first.

A couple of years ago, I was having a chat with a sweet young soccer player. She was on her way to becoming a pro if everything continued as planned. She looked at me and asked, "would you be my spiritual grandmother?" I don't think she noticed me sputter it out in shock, but I said, "of course I will; I would love to have you as a granddaughter." I smiled a fake smile and gave her a real hug, but on the inside, I was saying, "GRANDMOTHER??? GRANDMOTHER???" People had asked me to be a spiritual mother before, a spiritual big-sister, and "slit-your-wrist, be my best-friend-ever" request, but never had anyone asked me to be their granny.

That evening I spent a little extra time staring at myself in the mirror. Yeah, of course, the soccer player was correct. I was a grandmother, and thank the Lord she saw me as someone who could input good things into her life. And that's what I want to do and who I want to be.

I don't want to get hung up on anything that would hinder me from giving out. Sure, I'll be your spiritual grandmother, and in a few years, maybe I can be someone's spiritual great-grandmother. That would be an honor, for sure, and I would watch the stairs.