The Power of Your Word
By Fay A. Klingler
Grandparenting
can be hard work and extremely fulfilling, or take no
time or effort and be of little consequence. Each of us
can enjoy the former if we are empowered by our desire
to make a difference in the lives of our children and
grandchildren.
My
parents continue to set a standard for our family, even
in their advancing years. They are both in their eighties,
yet they still work hard to teach and guide us by showing
the path to follow. Just like us, they are not perfect,
but I’ve noticed the effort they make to keep their word.
Whenever they have told me they would do something, I’ve
felt a guarantee it would be done, barring any extreme
emergency. Although time has always been a challenge for
me (I mean fitting everything I want to do into each twenty-four-hour
period), I’ve tried to follow my own parents’ powerful
pattern in my parenting and grandparenting.
I
love to do so many things! If I’m not careful my “things”
get in the way of having time to spend with “my people”
— my children and grandchildren. So I try to parcel myself
out, like my parents do, to enjoy activities and events
with my family. Just like my parents, who scheduled activities
in advance so what was important to them — family — would
not get lost in their busy lifestyles, my husband and
I look at the calendar and purposely plan family events
so contact happens regardless of other events and happenings
in our lives. For those who live away from our area, we
make contact with special holiday packages, phone calls,
and letters.
A
couple months ago, a few members of our family booked
with me a date on the calendar for a mountain hike. As
that date drew near, my personal calendar was packed with
things that had to be done at work and home. I guess I
could have called the participating members and told them
I was just too busy, but I thought of my mother and father
and how they never let me down. I became determined to
keep my word. I decided to clear my mind of work and enjoy
the time with family.
As
it turned out, due to illness, only one daughter-in-law
and two grandchildren ended up going on the hike with
me. We packed food and water and put on sunscreen. We
helped little Anisha, the two-year-old, pack her pockets
after her pebble gathering. We pointed out the blue, pink,
and white flowers to Payton, a hefty one-year-old. We
sang songs, greeted an old bull moose, and felt rewarded
by the beautiful view of a mountain lake high in the hills.
All in all, it was a day well worth remembering for young
and old. To keep that remembrance for the little ones,
I laminated one of the pictures from our hike and mailed
one each to Anisha and Payton. Now they can carry the
pictures around and remember that fun day with Grandma!
That is the reward of planning ahead and following through
with a schedule.
This moose encounter was only one of the
joys experienced due to a promise kept.
Spontaneity
and bond-building cannot be underestimated either. The
day following the hike, one of our sons came early in
the morning to help us with some yardwork, trimming pyracantha
bushes with my husband and lifting pavers from the truck
for a rock garden I was creating. Later in the day we
received a phone call from another son, offering assistance.
What a wonderful surprise when the second son brought
with him three of our grandchildren, all prepared with
gloves and energy to help their grandma dig dirt and plant
stones and flowers while their father helped his brother
and my husband trim the bushes. What good workers and
delightful companions for this tired woman! We worked.
We talked. We ate ice cream and laughed together. That
is the reward of being open to spontaneous opportunities
to spend time together.
It’s
all about time and keeping your word, whether scheduled
or not …
I
hope to travel down life’s road following my parents’
tire tracks. When I reach my eighties, I want to be where
they are today — respected and loved for their example
of living gospel principles and following the admonition
given by the First Presidency to prioritize your time
to include gathering your family for praying and singing
together, reading the scriptures, teaching the gospel
to one another, and participating in other activities
that build family unity.
