Director of Community Connections, Jewish Community Services, an agency of The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore
I grew up in the 50s and 60s being blessed by the relationships I had with both sets of grandparents and one great-grandmother. In fact, my great-grandmother’s death when I was 21 years old was the first close family loss I experienced.
All of my grandparents lived nearby – my father’s parents lived within walking distance of my home. It was not unusual for them to drop in for a visit. My mother’s parents had dinner with us on Tuesday nights and my grandmother would then sleep over our house (in my room) before heading off to work the next day. Even as I write this, a smile comes to my face when I think about those days: sitting at the piano with my paternal grandfather, enjoying the stories of the “old country” from my grandmothers, and especially the delicious pastries my maternal grandfather brought from the Bronx each Tuesday afternoon!
Fast forward to today, and I am now relishing being “Bubbie” to twins (a boy and girl) who are now two years old and live in Michigan. I have longed for this stage, yet never anticipated that my grandchildren would not be a regular part of my daily life. But with a little determination and planning – and with the technology we have today, I have managed to build a strong relationship with Whitney and Isaiah. Click to read full article.
