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Dear [NAME]
A New Dimension To Living
A new dimension has been added to my personal AgeEsteem. It is also a new dimension to living.
On June 2nd at 9:36am CEST (Central European Summer Time which is EST + 6), our first grandchild was born. Jessica Emilie weighed 2960grams (6lbs 6oz) and measured 48cm (19 inches). She has dark hair and long delicate fingers. For the moment our world turns around her.
This role of grandparent is a new dimension of living for my husband and me. Never in my wildest thoughts did I imagine the intensity of love we would have for this tiny new member of our family. Although I have a full agenda, it seems to disintegrate when Jessica is near.
When our daughter was born my family was half a world away. They never saw my pregnant profile and only held our daughter when she was weeks and months old. We accepted the situation without question. Even phone calls were expensive and digital photography and internet was unknown. Maybe this is part of what makes the birth of our first grandchild so special. She is nearby so we can immediately shower her with love.
Already Jessica feels our love in tangible ways. She accepts our arms as loving cradles with unconditional confidence. Her heartbeats resonate with ours. She trusts us with complete abandon as she looks at us and then nods off to sleep.
This new dimension of living could not have happened to me when I was 30. Then I was having our own child, Jessica's mother. There is a difference between motherhood and grand motherhood. This latter comes with age and the experience of responsibilities raising one's own children.
Grandchildren offer us the opportunity to play, discover and learn. They allow us to share what we know and to guide and mentor - even when they are tiny newborns.
Many of us do not have children or grandchildren, but we can welcome people of those ages into our lives as well as older friends. One of my favorite photos is the one featured on www.AgeEsteem.com where I am on the beach with two borrowed grandchildren. It was a time of rediscovering the beach and the multitude of treasures it offers.
Having children among the people of different ages in our lives
- stimulates new interests and experiences;
- offers opportunities to learn as well as teach and mentor;
- incites laughter and rekindles our playfulness;
- helps us to recognize our own qualities and talents;
- adds new purpose to life.
Thank you for sharing my joy in Jessica's birth. Age with Pizzazz!© will not focus on grand parenting, but I did want to share my joy.
Having contact with people of all ages is an important dimension of AgeEsteem.
Happy AgeEsteem,
Bonnie
“Offer your love lavishly. You can never give too much love or receive too much love.”
Bonnie Fatio
Exercise:
Think about the people in your life. Do you have a mix of ages represented among them? Are there children, teenagers, young adults, adults and older adults? If not, what age groups are missing?
How can you build contacts with people within these age groups? (Example: Join a book club, volunteer in a nursery or organize a picnic at a local park.)
Decide to take action on one of your ideas and set a date to begin. (Example: I will join the library discussion group next Wednesday.)
AgeEsteem enriches everyone. If you have a question, would like to share a personal story or tip concerning self esteem and age, or comment on these messages write to me. I look forward to hearing from you. bonnie.fatio@AgeEsteem.com
WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete text with it: “Bonnie Lou Fatio, founder of AgeEsteem® publishes the award-winning Aging With Pizzazz© e-zine. If you're ready to live your life with AgeEsteem and to feel good about yourself at the age you are today, every day, get your FREE tips now at http://www.AgeEsteem.com/”
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