Being a Grandfather...........

This was originally post w/out photos in October, 2006.  One of my very early post…

 

As you folks know, Miss Bee and I have a blended family. I had three daughters from a previous marriage and Miss Bee had one daughter when we were married. Later we had a son, Chuck II. Now I got to tell you this presents a problem for the grandparents, you know the natural blood line thing. I must tell you that my parents were not as loving and caring for their step granddaughter as they were for their natural grandchildren. In turn, Miss Bee’s parents were the same way. In retrospect, I am sure that at times I showed favoritism to my natural children over my step daughter and for that I am truly sorry. As it turns out in my senior years I am much closer to my step daughter than I am to my own.

Back to being a grandfather, a few years back my daughter Teresa (center front)  had two sons graduating from high school in the same year. They are not twins, Teresa had a son and married a man who had a son the same age. Well when it came to presents for birthdays and Christmas and special days like that since the kids are spread across the country we would always send money and let them buy what they wanted or needed. But when the graduation gifts came up I said no, we are going to send them a nice wrist watch. Miss Bee thought I was off my rocker but agreed to send watches.

This experience prompted me to share with Miss Bee a story I had never told anyone. It is about my own grandparents.

My grandpa GW Sr, was a good man but I remember him as always being sick. As a matter of fact he died in 1949 from asthma and emphysema as a relatively young man. That is a real shame because his wife, my grandma lived another 50 years, as a widow woman, to age 96.

The last time I saw my Grandmother Alive

My other grandpa on my mothers side, Mr. Barton, I barely knew. I recall a time in the summer of 1953 when a big fancy car came up the driveway of the Piney Woods Farm. Being neighborly, I went out to meet the car and asked the man if I could help him, thinking he was lost. He asked me who I was and I told him my name, he said "boy, I’m your grandpa Barton."

 

You see, when my mother was about 3 years old her mother died from the Milk Leg. She had just given birth to her third daughter about one month prior to that. To make a long story short my grandmother’s sister raised my mother and one sister, the other girl died. My grandfather left them with Aunt Evie, who will for eternity be my grandmother.

My high school graduation

My mother, me and Aunt Evie

Getting back to 1953, my mother, brother, and I had spent the cool of the morning picking blackberries from the patch along the creek that ran through our farm.  We had several gallons of berries before it got up into the hot of the day.

After Mr Barton told me who he was I bolted like a spooked mule and ran into the house, all exited, with the screen door banging behind me, my mama yelled out, “Charles, stop banging that door!”  She was in the kitchen cooking up a big pot of blackberry jam on her wood cook stove, man, the house was smelling good.

I ran through the house to the kitchen shouting, Mama, he’s here, he’s here.  She asked who is he and I responded "you know, Mr Barton, my grandpa." In disbelief, she pushed the pot of jam to the cool side of the stove, removed her apron and followed me outside where I had left him standing next to his big shiny car.  He visited a few hours, had supper with us and then left, that was the one and only time I ever saw him.

 

The following year my brother graduated from high school. He sent Mr. Barton an announcement and a few weeks later he got a shinny gold wrist watch in the mail. Neither of us had ever had a watch.

 

The next year I graduated from high school and promptly sent Mr. Barton an announcement in anticipation of receiving my very own gold watch. He never responded.

 
Miss Bee made a commitment to me that even if I do not live to see all the grand kids graduate they will get a nice wrist watch from me. In addition, we committed to each other we will not show preference between natural and unnatural grand children, as our parents did. We also had that conversation with our daughter and her husband, if they see any difference shown it is their responsibility to call us on it, not just do the easy thing and accept it like we did.

 

I have a great relationship with the grand kids, they know I am an old softie and they can have their way with me. They are quick to show up with good report cards because they know "Pop Pop" will be good for a few bucks.

I just cannot wait until Christmas when we are taking them all on a cruise ship with us, ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas.

 
Now folks you know the rules, if you liked this truthful little story, leave me a little note and I will make up some more stuff.