It’s that time of the year again when the temperatures are soaring high. Birds, animals and humans alike are moving around to quench their thirst. The fans whirl lazily and seem to throw a gust of hot air. Ice cream vendors, sherbet vendors and gola vendors are enjoying the limelight while all other vendors enviously look on, desperate for some customers to come their way. The sweltering heat gives no respite to anyone. Everyone curses the heat as they go about their daily chores but there are some, who love this time….who wait for this time the whole year round. Any guesses??? Well, you guessed it right! It’s the little ones who get a long respite from school, but there are some others, who too wait for this time and probably even more eagerly than the kids. They are the lovely GRANDPARENTS!
With silver in their hair and gold in their hearts, they wait for this time with baited breath as they get to see their treasures after a long wait of eleven months. Children are the ones whom parents love the most but once the grandkids arrive, those very children who had until then been the apple of their parents’ eyes, take a backseat and the world of the grandparents start revolving around them.
Spending the entire summer vacations with grandparents, well in my case winter vacations (as we never got any holidays during the summer) was a customary in our times. As soon as the holidays would begin, my mom would pack our bags and baggage and off we would go for three months straight! Yes! We had three months of vacation. One month was spent at our paternal grandparents’, the other at our maternal grandparents’ and the remaining one month hopping around at the houses of our uncles and aunts. The memories of those days still bring a flash of smile on my face.
Being able to visit grandparents is a boon. What children need most, are the essential things which the grandparents have in abundance. They give unconditional love, comfort, joy, kindness, understanding, patience, important life lessons and best of all they can be the children’s friend and confidante. Children can uninhibitedly share their life stories with their grandparents. Since they are already out of the stressful phase of parenting, they are more fun to be with. They will listen to all that you have to say, without dismissing you, without being judgemental and without bringing ‘studies’ in every conversation unlike parents :-D
Just like their hearts, their kitchen is always open. They are certainly more talented than their own kids. The delicacies they dish out for their grandkids are remembered even when they are long gone. Even today my friends and me remember, the multiple fold ‘teh’ ka crisp paratha my maternal grandfather used to make and the tasty pickles and papads my grandmother used to pack for us. Now that same role has been taken over by my own mother who ensures to cook things for her beloved grandson. The planning begins months in advance and they start ticking off days on the calendar. I recall one episode when I was travelling home to my parents by Shatabdi and my excited little boy, all of 2, was hopping around the coach, merrily chatting with complete strangers and telling them that his waiting nanimaa had prepared Rajma for him. Simple joys of childhood!
Need I mention the wonderful gifts grandparents carefully preserve for their grandchildren all through the year, neatly and carefully tucked away and produced only when the grandkids are sitting on their lap. The sparkling eyes of the grandparents as they watch their grandkids unwrapping the gifts, and the twinkling eyes of the grandkids when they open their gifts only to discover the things they had longed for at the market while the parents had gently whisked them away!
What about the hand knitted sweaters and dresses that are so lovingly made by them? They still out beat the most expensive pullovers available in the market as they carry the warmth of grandmother’s love.
Amidst today’s busy schedules, it’s getting more and more difficult for kids to spend their vacations in their grandparents’ houses, but one thing can be assured, that if parents send their kids over, children will definitely have the best time of their lives. They will not miss their parents at all as they will be showered with extra love and care.
So, my dear parents. Don’t think much. Instead of just taking your kids to some exotic location this time, pack them away to their grandparents’ house. It will be a double delight – both for your kids and for your parents.
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