A grandparent is truly a special person. There's no doubt about that. A grandparent is defined as:

a parent of one's father or mother; a grandmother or grandfather

That's not even the depth of the definition of a grandparent.

As I sat here this morning thinking about the visit from my granddaughter over the weekend, I thought about a comment she made: "I hug you so tight because you're warm and your stomach is like a soft pillow."

Now, that wasn't me she was referring to in that last part.

But I could hear the love in her voice as the continued, "I'm never going to let you go." To that, I asked how was she going to go to school on Monday. She's at home in virtual learning, so her answer was that she'd just take PawPaw home with her. Well, I didn't tell her that she had my blessing on that thought!

Traditionally, grandparents filled a role in the offspring of their own children's lives. The roles were that of mentor, loving or playful companion, comforter, advisor, caretaker, provider of gifts and toys, secondary babysitter, transportation provider, supporter of extracurricular activities, and many others.

• Being Available for Them

One of the most important roles a grandparent play is that of availability. They have to "be there" for the grandchildren. Living nearby makes it easier than living out of state or elsewhere. I"m happy that our granddaughter is no farther than fifty miles away.

However, grandparents in this generation may be younger and some have careers and other activities. Fortunately, technology has helped solve the problem of "being there" as now you can interact virtually.

Being there and making time for grandchildren also give grandparents the opportunity to solidify a secure and positive relationship.

Due to the pandemic, many grandparents are required to be separated from grandchildren for the safety of the entire family. This is especially true if the grandparents have underlying conditions such as I do, and the children are required to attend in-person school.

The ability to be available to them may also be affected if the parents are still in the work environment and may be exposed to infection from COVID-19. I have encountered this safety precaution when my daughter was exposed to the virus from a co-worker. They couldn't visit until their self quarantine was lifted.

Even though the pandemic means they can't visit often, I talk to her daily about the need to protect herself from the virus and also her friends by wearing her mask.

• Influencing Them

The most influential person in a grandchild's life can be that of a grandparent. Studies have shown that as many as 9 out of 10 adult grandchildren felt that their grandparents did have an impact on their lives and influenced their beliefs, values, and some of their habits.¹

This precious time with grandchildren is also perfect for nurturing their spiritual growth. Questions can be answered the grandchild might be confused about and want another perspective.

Imparting family values and family history can be impressed upon them during this time. I know I share all my research, photographs, and documents then explain what each mean in relation to her. We help her to create her own family tree from the information we've provided. That way, it'll be more likely to have an impression on her.

I also send her lessons about our family history. She has to answer them without help and return to me. She's so sweet.