Mom's Scrapbook Pages: On Becoming a Grandma

Many things change a person's life. But the one thing that changed mine the most was becoming a grandma.

Now, I was born and raised in Minnesota. I should be one of those hearty souls who revel in snowdrifts and ice on the lakes and cold weather. I am not. I detest it all. I do not need snow to enjoy Christmas. I have no desire to engage in snowball fights, nor am I apt to build a snow fort or sit on a frozen lake dangling a hook and line through a hole in the ice. Nope. Not me.

So when I was living in a warm climate, enjoying being able to walk down the street in January without the need of snow boots or parka or mittens, I get a phone call telling me of the arrival of my first grandchild. Then the pictures start coming in the mail. You know the ones. The sweet little baby face. The smile that melts even the coldest of hearts. The ones that every grandparent worth his salt whips out at the slightest provocation to show off to whoever was dumb enough to mention grandchildren. Those pictures.

And then another phone call telling me that in addition to my grandson, I now have a beautiful little granddaughter. This time I didn't even wait for the pictures to come in the mail. I looked at my husband and said, "Start packing. We're going home."

Back to the ice and snow. Back to frostbite inducing cold and wind. Back to bare trees and snow boots and parkas and mittens. And back to those people who are more precious to me than anything else.....my children and grandchildren.

Best move I ever made.