My Hopes For My Grandchildren

I'd like my Grandchildren to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meatloaf sandwiches. I hope you learn humility by being humiliated and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car and I really hope that nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother or a sister and it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when they want to crawl under the covers with you because they are scared, I hope you will let them.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother or a sister wants to tag along, I hope you will let them. I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom or Dad.

If you want a slingshot, I hope you are taught how to make one instead of buying one. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books. When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a girl or a boy. May you skin your knees climbing on a mountain and I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it, and if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you will realize that person is not your friend. I sure hope you make time to sit and visit with Grandpa and me and get immeasureable joy from a sunrise or sunset.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays. I hope you get punished for throwing a baseball through your neighbour's window and that you get a hug and lots of kisses at Christmas time when you give your Mom and Dad a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for each of you .... my Grandchildren. Tough times and disappointments. Hard work and happiness. To me it's the only way to appreciate life.

Sealed with a kiss for each one of you. I'm here for you always.