01/06/2023
By Kate Stone Lombardi
My baby’s baby is sick.
It’s nothing serious. My granddaughter has a stomach bug and this, too, shall pass. Of course I hate to see the little girl under the weather. But I have to also admit that it’s been amazing to watch my daughter parent her ailing little one.
Growing up my daughter had an aversion to illness, particularly stomach sickness. She could barely tolerate the sight or smell. Yesterday she texted after she’d gotten the baby down. She was heading to the shower because her hair and shirt were splashed with baby puke. It was a non-issue; all she wanted was the baby to feel better. When we talked later, my daughter was calm and loving, concerned but not panicking.
None of this should surprise me. That’s who she is.
A friend recently told me that there were three joys of being a grandparent. One, the child itself, Delicious beyond words. Two, seeing your child as a parent. And three – this is more subtle – seeing the joy on your kid’s face when he or she sees the joy that the baby brings you. So true.
Watching my daughter become a wonderful Mom has brought me a level of happiness and pride I could never have imagined. I’m so, so grateful I can experience this. And I’m going to visit tomorrow – to give both of them a hug.