I hope and pray I can be a better grandfather than either my father or my grandfather. <stuff snipped>
I hope to do better . <more stuff snipped>
My son has made noises of moving out of state . And that will have to be his and his wife's decision. and we will do our best to stay close.
That will be another new chapter in life I guess.
Sorry for the rambles.
Tin
Sounds like you're on the right track for doing just what you said about being better if you're thinking about it already. I had two different grandfathers (doesn't everyone?). By this I mean one was more hands on though we didn't see him very often (8-9 hour drive away) and the other had almost nothing to do with us except the occasional visit to the farm where I grew up (was his farm before that) which was mostly for checking out the farm or talking to his own kid. His wife was gone by the time I was born.
The first grandpa had a shop, let us mess around in it (with his supervision) as we became able, he made up stories at bedtime for us, played with us as he had time, etc. So was the much more grieved when he passed. Both good men, not given to bad vices, loved their wives and didn't stray, etc. But the way the one grandpa interacted with us grand kids I'll never forget and he set an example I hope to follow to.
My oldest and the one with the new daughter is already out of state. I'm in SW Michigan and he is Montpelier VT. It would be a very long one day trip or a two day trip to visit by car. Expensive to fly. So I've seen her once in person. I don't know if they'll ever move closer. That's their choice of course and I don't try to pressure or make them feel guilty or anything, but it would nice to see them more often. We do have a web cam and try to video chat when we can.
That son was not interested in my shop and wood/metal working activities growing up but now both he and his wife are taking interest in some of that so I'm doubly disappointed in that I could share some knowledge (very little of that) and my shop if they were closer. Oh well. Our youngest is in college and so we are semi-empty nesters and I'm enjoying that, speaking of new chapters. He has also gotten interested in various things that lap over into my areas of interest (not model engines but metal and wood working) so that is fun, when I can help him figure something out or show him how to do something.
Our grandson is just under an hour away so we get to see him fairly often. My wife more than me since she works part time and has gone over to be with our daughter and help with the baby while the dad is out town on work which he does with some regularity. They were just here on Sat. and we watched Russell while they had a date alone. Russ didn't want to sleep (I think he is so interested in his surroundings that he is afraid of missing out on something by sleeping; his mother was just the same) so I walked with him until he finally did fall asleep in my arms. Glad I don't have to do that everyday or in the middle of the nights (one of the perks of grandparenthood) but oh how nice once in a while. Once asleep I was able to just sit down in the rocker and read a book holding him. (I was afraid he'd wake up if I tried to put him in bed.)
Hang in there and BE a grandpa!
Paul (from SW MI, not to be confused with the other Paul, the man behind the curtain)
