When a grandparent holds their newborn grand-baby for the first time, there’s an emotional high that’s almost beyond description. The wonder and love felt at that time is forever remembered with a smile.

You feel a new and different kind of love towards this sweet, innocent, warm baby…a new level of love. It’s magical and joyful! Why a different kind of love? You suddenly get this feeling of immortality and the comfort that somehow, some way, a part of YOU will live on through this precious little one.

As a modern-day grandparent what role do you play?

Grandparents have always played an important role in family life; the historian, the mentor, a role model, a friend. However, over the last twenty years, grandparents have had increased responsibility for their grandchildren due to changes in society and a larger number of single parent households. These responsibilities might include activities such as getting young children ready for school in the mornings, providing full-time child care for preschoolers, or serving as a custodial parent. As a grandparent, in this modern-day family, your role is unique and important. You are not just “another babysitter,” but have a fundamental connection with your grand-kids. Make the most of those special days!

Grandchildren bring energy, laughter, optimism, love and purpose to the lives of their grandparents. While grandparents act as an authority figure and provide unconditional love, they also wield incredible influence and get to spoil their grand-kids in a way parents simply can’t.

I encourage you to keep the connection active and alive no matter what the current circumstances may be. Let your imagination go wild, make it a point to send colorful cards or magazine gift subscriptions. Utilize technology and keep that link going through Facetime, Skype or old fashion telephone calls. The bottom line is to keep the constant connection with your grandchildren. Everyone is blessed because of it!

If you ask a child, “What is Love?” They might come back to you with a simple definition like:

• Love is hugging me, even when I did something wrong.
• Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.
• Love is spending time reading an extra book to me, even though the chores are piling up.
• Love is giving daddy the best piece of chicken.

As a teenager, love can be defined as more individualistic and chemical.  You might here definitions such as:

• Love is a feeling where you feel like nothing can go wrong.
• Love is when your world is made up of one special person and without that person, you seem empty.
• Love is being there for someone.

However, when you become a parent you are introduced to the power of unconditional love and the danger of sacrifice as a parent.

Love is the force that gives Age Esteem its pizzazz! It may take on different dimensions as we experience different stages of life, but it remains a constant.

As we close out this month of love, let’s celebrate – Love of self, love of family, love of friends, love of those who we do not yet know and yes, even love for our enemies.

• Allow your heart to overflow with thoughts of love.
• Look for indications of love around you.
• Remember the precious moments in your life when you have had so much love in your heart that it bubbled over.

Celebrate love!

The rules for raising children are in constant mutation!  These changes include everything from the rules of whether baby sleeps on her back, side or tummy to toliet training, to discipline, to how your child should learn at each age.

One thing that never changes for this grandmother though is her unconditional love for her grandchildren.  Yes, there is discipline.  It is necessary to set boundaries for safety and in order to learn to function in society.  However, the discipline is always accompanied with love and the boundaries outlined in caring.

In fact, this grandma often will take her five-year-old grandchild in her arms and sing the second verse of the poem, I love myself the way I am, by Emma Jane Rae.

It is a powerful affirmation of unconditional love.  Here are the words.

I love you just the way you are
There is nothing you need to do
When I feel the love inside myself
It´s easy to love you
Behind the tears, your rage and fears
I see your shining star
And I love you just the way you are

I know the child loves it because she will climb into my lap and begins the tune for me with a smile on her face. Yes, this, too, is important for my age-esteem.

Bonnie Fatio

As I started to settle onto one of the benches in St. Michael Shrine in Tarpon Springs, Florida a woman came towards me. There was something in her bearing that made me stand up even though I had not seen her before.

She came directly to me, wrapped her arms around me and simply said, “I love you. Be happy.”

It was without surprise that I hugged her in return saying, “I love you. I am happy.”

How simple it is to share the joy of love by hugging a complete stranger, saying “I love you”, and encouraging them to be happy.

There have been odd moments when I have hugged a stranger. I also do tell people that I love them. But to do all of this at the same time to a complete stranger? – That was a new lesson in unconditional love.

Bonnie Fatio

Happy Mother’s Day to All the Women of the World!

Whether you are a mother, grandmother, aunt, godmother, fairy godmother or friend, this is YOUR day.

Thank you for all that you do to assure that our children and grandchildren grow to be happy, educated, concerned citizens of our planet.  Thank you for your guidance and unconditional love. All of us at AgeEsteem are grateful to you.

Happy Mother’s day!

Bonnie Fatio

As grandparents we try hard not to spoil our grandchildren with “things”.  Instead, we offer them endless unconditional love, educational experiences, happy memories filled with fun and adventure.   As much as we laugh together and play together, we remain their grandparents.  This is important for their age esteem as much as it is for ours.

Recent studies at Yale University, USA and the National Institute on Aging in the USA show that the attitude that children have towards aging influences how they feel about age when they become older.  This means that our attitude towards our own age is an important factor for our little ones later in their lives as well as today.

In order to offer unconditional love to our grandchildren, we must love ourselves unconditionally.  This indicates that we love ourselves at the age we are and celebrate ourselves as well as our grandchildren.   Children feel this sincerity and what we get in return are

• lopsided hugs and sticky kisses,
• pet names that only a child could chose,
• questions and statements that melt our hearts,
• a chance to rediscover life through new eyes, and
• the privilege of knowing we are important in very unique and important ways to our grandchildren.

Age esteem is the perfect gift for every occasion.