A Grandchild's Magic

For nearly 40 years I've always considered myself the lucky one. That I had been the one blessed to have had such amazing people in my life. While telling a friend about my grandparents she told me about her grandchildren and their magic. "The magic of children discovering the world and the wonderful things in it. The magic of the honesty that kids operate with." That made me wonder if my grandparents may have felt the same way about my sisters and I. I believe that they did. They were always patient and understanding with us and seemed to take such joy in the little things that made us happy. I just hope I can be half the grandparent that Nanny and Poppy were.

When I was seven years old my parents separated. My two older sisters and I lived with my mother for a while. We stayed at her boyfriend's apartment but, I didn't really like it there. Then one day my father came for a visit and told my mother he was taking us out to eat. We never lived with my mother again. The three of us girls chose it to be that way when my father asked who we wanted to live with. He didn't have a place of his own, so, my father took us to his parents house. For quite some time my grandparents and my aunt took care of us while my father worked and "found us a new mother".
My grandparents, Nanny & Poppy, were amazing people. Nanny would walk us to and from school every day and pick us up for lunch. We never ate in the cafeteria. Instead, she would have soup and sandwiches waiting on the table for us. She would keep us occupied with crafts and fun things to do. Poppy taught us how to ride a two-wheeler and would always tell us silly jokes. On the few occasions my mother came to visit we would sit in Poppy's car, with him always in the front. This is because Nanny was afraid that my mother would take us back. Even though they were both getting on in years, in their late 60's, Nanny and Poppy would have done everything in their power to protect us girls.
For many, many years I have looked back fondly on those months spent with my grandparents. They passed away when my children were young and before my youngest was even born. Through the years I taught them all the things that Nanny and Poppy taught me. All three of them can doodle some pretty cute birds and they fold a mean newspaper hat. I've told them all the stories and shared all the wonderful memories I have of my grandparents. Their legacy will forever live on.