^{Photo by Poppy Thomas Hill}

What is the significance of remembering loved ones with so little time left on earth? How do we show that even in their absence, they are treasured? 

Grandparents are those types of loved ones with whom we either have little to no time spent. Their role in our children’s lives is beyond comparison. Being a grandparent means acting as the secondary parents to the children. Some of them raise the child themselves because of factors like the biological parents failing to step up to the role. Thus, they are significant contributors to child development, and more.

Nana, Pops, Grandma, Gramps. Regardless of what you call them, grandparents are special people that take up a massive chunk of our lives. Even in our short time with them, we can’t deny that those moments will last forever. If only we knew better, they would’ve stuck around. Life works like that. We can’t guarantee when someone precious gets taken away from us. But if there’s something we can do, remember who they are, their legacy, and what lessons they left for us.

The loved ones who came before we have created an irreplaceable bond that not even death can separate. For some families, emotional attachment was built for many generations. A grandparent’s life and love are also celebrated in the book “The Letters of C.M. Case” by Virginia R. Degner. It is a Spanish-American war memoir book detailing the life of Degner’s grandfather. Calvin Milton Case was a soldier who fought in the Boxer Rebellion in China until the Spanish-American war in Cuba.

What died didn’t stay dead.

They’re alive in our heads. If there’s nothing else for us to remember our grandparents by, at least the memories should stay. Just like in the letters from Degner’s grandfather, the rich trove of memories speaks about the losses and victories of the great war. What C.M. Case went through also became a bridge for the East Coast and West Coast families to bond. Those moments happened in the loving memory of the one who came before them.

When we lose loved ones, there’s the inevitable and indescribable pain. But with that comes the love and fondness of having spent life’s moments together while they were still around. It does help with coping, mainly when the bond you had with your loved ones solidifies the mutual trust. We cannot downplay the wisdom and insight provided by our grandparents because they, too, have lived through all of life’s stages.

That’s why when we mourn for a loved one who died, let us not remember how they passed. We must remember how they lived, celebrating every bit of it.

Joy in the littlest days

Grandparents have a different level of enthusiasm when it comes to their grandchildren. It’s evident in their willingness to spend time together while their parents are away. Maybe due to their ample free time, grandparents have more to teach children regarding practical life skills and lessons. But sometimes, they want to watch them play and have fun as they are.

Our Nanas and Gramps may have been more avid storytellers than we credit them. Their life experiences are the most excellent teachers, whether applied to parents and grandchildren. The unique position of their limited time left allows them to look back on their past lives wholeheartedly.

Measuring the impact of a grandparent-grandchild bond is difficult because the relationship focuses more on close involvement than mere supervision. A child can even pick up the maturity and wisdom of their grandparents at an early age. Loving the little ones became a part of who they are, no matter the time and distance. Grandparents give unconditional love, fostering an impactful interaction.

The future of a young child has the potential to be brighter. When the close relationship between a grandparent and a child is built on love and understanding, their irreplaceable role in child development makes them great pillars of wisdom and support.

The greatest treasures of a lifetime

For our grandparents, everything they lost is a step they took. They already have enough ideas to navigate the complicated weather of life. As excellent harbingers of advice, our grandparents boast a ton of fantastic history. Those aspects became the ultimate definition of what the family should be onwards. If we don’t want them to fade, the most realistic way to do it is to remember them.

Commemorate your loved ones in any way you can without failing to apply the lessons they taught you. They serve as your guiding compass when you feel lost and alone. And though they’re not around anymore, you can feel their presence through the memories they shared with you.