Nobody’s talking about the grandparents.
You guys, I feel for the single mamas, the unemployed, the suddenly working from home dads who have to figure out how to do their job AT home and with kids screaming in the background.
My heart hurts for the high school seniors who won’t get to graduate, who won’t have those feelings of closure as they jump into the world of adulthood.
I’m so sad for the brides who have to replan a long-awaited ceremony and postpone their happiness.
I pray for the healthcare heroes who have been working absurd hours under terrible conditions without fear for their own health. I know the true victims of this crisis are those who are sick or have sadly passed away because of complications of this awful illness.
Can we all agree that there are no people NOT affected by this?
We are all being moved by this in different ways, but I wanted to take a minute and talk about the grandparents, both new and experienced.
The grandma who has held a growing belly for months only to be told she can’t watch the birth of her very first grandchild.
The grandpas who can’t take their grandson to opening day.
The grandparents who aren’t working, because they’re retired or laid off, and have no social calendar, no little ones underfoot, no one to cook for, no one to tend to. Grandparents can’t host Easter brunch, or attend church with their friends. There are those grandparents who can’t figure out technology well enough to have a ZOOM conference or a Facetime visit.
There are the grandparents who are in assisted living centers whose only contacts are the nurses and doctors.
My kids’ grandparents and great grandparents are in the “high risk” age groups and frankly, it sucks.
It sucks because we can’t go check on them. We can’t go take care of them. We can’t have lunch with Granny or sleepovers at Gigi’s. My kids’ grandparents can’t see their adult kids, their grandkids, or their own parents.
I’ve seen people complain that they have to be home 24/7 with their kids. I’ve seen people freak out about homeschooling or make jokes about day drinking because they aren’t used to spending so much time with their kids. I know a few grandparents who would trade places with us in a heartbeat to spend this much uninterrupted time with these little people.
I am not saying they are the worst off or the biggest victim of this crazy disaster but they definitely need some big hugs when we can finally crawl out of our caves.
Moving forward, I will absolutely not be taking them for granted. We miss our grandparents!
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Thank you Valerie for mentioning the grandparents. We are grandparents, my husband and I, and we have only one grandchild, a wonderful three-year-old. It has not been as difficult for us but his great grandma and great nana are in the high risk and unable to see him. My heart hurts for them not able to spend their few remaining days around family and hugging their wonderful great grandson. He is a blessing as are they. I don’t know the answers but what I see, what I know to be true for many, hurts.