I sit here at my son’s football practice watching in awe and heartbreak.
Tonight I’m not watching him. I’m drawn to something off the field. I’m captivated by a sweet grandmother playing with her granddaughter.
I watch as they play. As they hug. As they enjoy each other’s company.
I watch as they eat little treats and as they practice reading words together.
I watch the smiles, the laughs and the cute little bond that they share.
I watch them sing catchy tunes. I watch them color and draw. I watch them together, happy.
I watch in envy and heartbreak. My kiddos don’t get those moments. My mother, their grandmother, has passed. She’s gone. Unable to do all the things I’m admiring in the two souls I’m watching.
I watch in awe of the beauty and bond they share. In the love. In the appreciation. In the joy.
I watch and my heart aches for my mother. Like a punch to the gut and a knife to the heart, all at the same time.
I watch, not in jealousy, but in the realization and heartbreak of having children without a grandmother. And you know what, if I’m honest, a little in jealousy too.
I should be watching my son out on that football field, but I find myself drawn to “Char and Nona”. Two people who are strangers to me, yet have touched my heart so delicately in their sweet and simple moments together.
These two souls are in a moment, not unique to them, but one that so many people wish they had. Simple moments that so many of us ache for.
If you are blessed with parents still living, love them fiercely. Appreciate them endlessly and never take them for granted. One day there will be no new moments, only memories.
xox, Chels
