When I was a mother, I had to say "No" plenty of times. Too many times, perhaps. "No" to an extra helping of dessert. (And why didn't I say "Yes" then?) "No" to an expensive pair of new shoes. And countless other "Nos."
Now that I'm a grandma, I get to say "Yes." When our two grandsons visited a couple of weeks ago, I had a small present for them for each day. Isaac, who knows how to get around his grandmother, asked, "Grandma, can I have one more present now?"
"Of course."
"Grandma, can I have just one more present?"
"You bet."
And so it went. At the end of the visit, my daughter-in-law Jenny said, "Jane, next time you need to practice saying 'No' more."
I don't think so. Saying "Yes" to grandchildren is a grandmother's perogative. Her privilege. And her pleasure.
So, for today, I am grateful for times I can say "Yes."
It's true. Moms have to say no so often that it sometimes becomes the first thing naturally to come out of my mouth. Once, one of my children came to me with the perennial interrogative, "Mom?" I answered without blinking. "No." I put myself into "Yes" remediation straight away.
ReplyDeleteThe joys of being a grandma.
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