stories by DrGlenn
Never Ending Grandmothers
Our second grandson, Andrew, has lived an action packed life. He was born to our daughter Jill (our fourth child, who was adopted at birth). Jill was single and seventeen when she gave birth to Andrew. Jill subsequently married Michael (not Andrew’s birth father), when Andrew was four. Three years later, after an eight-year search, Jill located her birth mother and birth father.
One night, after Andrew had returned from a trip with his mother and father to another state to visit this newfound family, he started to explain to my wife, Ruth, and me about all of his grandmothers. Andrew was seven at the time and although he didn’t get every detail correct, he got the story basically right… although it was extremely complicated.
Andrew started by mentioning that he had " a whole bunch of new grandmas" and we invited him to tell us about them. He said, "Well before I went to KY, I had you and Grandma Weaver (that would be my wife and her mother), and Grandma Servantes and Great Grandma Servantes (from his new dad’s side of the family)." He continued, "And I have Grandma Duke and Great Grandma Duke (Andrew’s birth father’s family)."
He went on, "Down in KY, I met Grandma Peggy and Grandma Sullivan and another Grandma who was very old (from Jill’s birth mother’s family). He also mentioned that he had two more grandma’s in TN that he didn’t get to meet (they would be Jill’s birth father and his family who didn’t want to meet Jill and Andrew).
As we counted the grandmothers and decided that there were eleven (only three grandfathers by the way), Andrew said, "So many grandmothers, so many Grandmothers…someday I’ll write a book." I laughed because Ruth always says that someday she’ll write a book, but Ruth insightfully asked, "What are you going to name that book Andrew?" Andrew thought for a few minutes and said, "Never Ending Grandmothers."
We all laughed…Andrew was proud of his quick wit and… Ruth and I felt grateful, knowing that no child can ever have too much love …or too many grandmothers.
June, 2001