The Grandparent I Needed: The Grandparent I Hope to Be

When I became “Nana,” I felt an unexpected tug at my heart…a stirring of memory, legacy, and love. It wasn’t just a new chapter. It was a full-circle moment.

Because before I ever became a grandparent, I was raised by two of the best.

👵👴 The Grandparents Who Raised Me

From age four to fourteen, with just a few years in between spent with my dad, I was raised by my paternal grandparents. They were born in the 1920s, but somehow, they were ahead of their time.

Both of them worked. Both of them cooked. Both of them cleaned. My grandmother managed the finances and handled business matters with quiet confidence. There was no “woman serves the man” mentality in that house. In fact, the kids ate first.

And me? I was the oldest. The first grandchild. The first to give them a great-grandchild. I was theirs, and they were most definitely mine.

💗 She Was My Person

My grandmother was my anchor, my person. She taught me grace without words, love without conditions, and the kind of strength that doesn’t need to announce itself to be felt.

They were stability. They were kindness. They were home.
I honestly don’t know where I would’ve ended up without them.

Even all these years later (she passed in 1997 after 51 years of marriage, and he followed in 2005) I hold them both in the highest esteem. Their lessons still echo in how I live, how I love, and now, how I grandparent.

🌿 Becoming the Grandparent They Were for Me

When I hold my grandchild, I think about them.

I think about the warmth of my grandma’s kitchen, the steadiness of my grandpa’s hands, and the quiet strength that filled their home like a soft light.

I want to pass that on.

I want to be the kind of grandparent who makes a child feel safe just by walking into the room. I want to be remembered not for the things I bought, but for the way I showed up…with compassion, time, and unwavering presence.

Midlife grandparenting isn’t just about spoiling them, it’s about grounding them. Being a steady hand in a fast, loud world.

🔄 Legacy, Rewritten and Carried Forward

Our generation, Gen X, is often underestimated. But we are fierce, loyal, loving, and real. We’ve lived through change, loss, uncertainty, and reinvention. And now we bring all of that into our role as grandparents.

I don’t want to recreate the past. I want to honor it.
I want to take the best parts of how I was raised and pour them forward…with softness, honesty, and a whole lot of grace.

💬 Final Thoughts

Becoming a Nana has changed me. It’s slowed me down, opened me up, and reminded me of the two people who helped raise me into someone I’m proud to be.

They were the grandparents I needed.
My wish is to take that legacy and become the grandparent I’d always hoped to be.

✨ Reader Reflection

Who helped raise you? What lessons from your grandparents (or other caregivers) live on in you? I’d love to hear your story in the comments; let’s celebrate the people who shaped us, and the legacies we get to pass on.

With Love

Brandy