I’ve waited years for this to happen to me. Most of my friends are grandparents by now and I have been eagerly awaiting the exciting news that will happen to me. We all know that this is the greatest achievement of being a parent. No matter what else our own kids do, how accomplished they are, how smart they are, or how fun they are, it all comes down to this. This, my friends, means that you will finally stop being just a parent. Now you can be a certified GRANDPA. This is when you can stop worrying and stop being responsible. You can stop mentoring your own children and (?) Gently remind them what they are supposed to do and just ENJOY.

Yes, with a grandchild, you don’t have to worry about any of that. It is the happiness of the parents. Someone else can do all the heavy lifting while you sit back and enjoy the good things. You can spoil them, kiss them and hug them, fill their stomachs with cookies and other good things to bribe them to love you and then send them home for their tantrums, sleepless nights, and all the other fun things we had to do. endure as a parent. The time is near!

Wait … is that a concern?

Now that I know I’m going to be a grandmother, it means my own son is going to have a baby. You know this is going to change their lives completely … will they be okay? It is a big responsibility, it is expensive, will they have enough patience, how will they solve it with their jobs, will the dog be good to the baby? There are so many questions and so many concerns. I thought this was supposed to be the easy part. On a daily basis, I seem to come up with a new set of things to worry about. Of course, if worrying was an Olympic sport, I would compete and win the gold medal each and every time, but I’m sure this is normal. The difference between being a father and a grandfather is that this time, I know what to expect and I can’t do anything about it. I know very well that they are going to be great parents, but that is not going to stop me from worrying anyway. That poor child is going to fall down and get hurt, he is going to get sick and sometimes he is going to be unhappy; it is a fact. Now, however, not only am I going to have to worry about my grandson during those moments, but I’m also going to worry that his mom and dad have to go through it, knowing how much it hurts, as it did to me. and not being able to do anything about it. How come no one told me about this part of being a father or a grandfather?

I think instead of landing on the easy street of parents, I just realized that I am about to embark on a whole new journey as a parent. I am sure that I am going to have my own special relationship with my grandchildren, but now I realize that I am also about to have a completely new relationship with my own children. Being a parent really is a lifelong endeavor and becoming a grandparent is just another part of the same journey, with one incredible bonus.

I’m going to do my best not to worry about anything. I am going to spend a lot of time with my new grandson, hugging, pampering and loving him. When I send it home, I will give my son and daughter-in-law an extra hug for all they have to worry about now.