By 
My husband Alan, my son Nicholas and I have just returned from a vacation with my mother in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. I was born in Bloomsburg, however I grew up in Florida. This was my first time visiting my hometown as an adult and the visit flooded me with many memories, especially of my grandparents. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, whom we all called Nanny and Pap. I was the first granddaughter and for a long time I was the only granddaughter because they all had children. Needless to say, my babysitter and dad spoiled me, especially my babysitter. They took me with them everywhere. I remember spending every weekend with them when I was a kid. We would go out to dinner at fancy restaurants and every Saturday my babysitter and I would go “roaming”. That was the term I used to describe our Saturday outings, which usually consisted of a trip to Zayre’s, where I always bought myself a new Barbie doll or Strawberry Shortcake, some clothes, and then lunch. I loved those weekends with my grandparents.
My favorite thing to do with them was travel. During the summer, they took me on trips with them. I loved riding in his Lincoln Continental. They always let me ride on the “hump” in the front seat; you know the two armrests that were between them. We travel to many places. I remember visiting The Alamo with them, Chattanooga Tennessee where we had lunch at Chattanooga Choo Choo, Niagara Falls walking through these really cool caves, and Inner Harbor in Baltimore just to name a few. I was blessed as a child to have been able to travel the country and see so many amazing things. Looking back as an adult, my best memories are just the time I spent with them. They taught me a lot about life and love. They loved me so much. Of all the memories I have of them, one of my best memories is a song that my babysitter used to sing to me. “I love you a bushel and a kiss, a bushel and a kiss and a hug on the neck.” She sang it to me all the time.
All that said, visiting Bloomsburg was very nostalgic for me. I got to see my babysitter and dad’s old house. It was the house my mom brought me to from the hospital, where I learned to swim and where I spent a lot of time visiting my grandparents. I also got to see my nanny’s old real estate office. I remember playing “office” with her there. However, this time I was able to see the relationship with my son Nicholas and his grandmother. All her grandchildren call her “Gringen”, a name my daughter made up when she was little. Seeing the two of them together reminded me a lot of me and my babysitter. They just love each other so much! Just as my nanny pampered me, Gringen pampered Nicholas. That’s what grandparents do, right? I felt the presence of my Nanny and Pap so strongly in Bloomsburg. It made me wish they were still here to see my children grow up.
While we were there, my mom took us to Ace Renco, where she works. It’s a hardware store in Bloomsburg that has an area like a gift shop in the back of the store. It was filled with beautiful handmade items like purses, home decor, and candles. My mom and I were looking at all these beautiful things and I swear I could have bought everything there! As I turned down the aisle containing adorable handmade baby things, I saw something that brought tears to my eyes. My mom knew exactly what she was looking at and picked it up to buy it for me. Right there in the hardware store in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, was something I had never seen anywhere else. It was a small wooden box, painted pink with white polka dots and the words “A bushel and a kiss and a hug around the neck.” I like to think that was a sign of my babysitter smiling down at us from heaven, or God’s way of reminding me how special grandparents are in our children’s lives.
My grandparents impacted my life in a tremendous way. They were a huge part of my life and helped me become the woman I am today. If you are reading this and have children, I encourage you to make sure that your children spend a lot of time with their grandparents. No matter how you feel about your parents and their parenting skills, grandparenting is very different and the relationship between a child and her grandparents is something they will always treasure. If you are a grandparent, make time for your grandchildren, teach them things they can only learn from you, and most importantly, just love them. You will create memories that will last a lifetime. I am so thankful for my nanny and dad and cherish all the memories I have of them and love them: “A bushel, a kiss and a hug around the neck!
Proverbs 17:6 “Children’s children are a crown to the aged.”
Leviticus 19:32 “Arise in the presence of the elders, show respect for the elders and reverence your God, I am the Lord.”
Proverbs 16:31 “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is achieved with a straight life.”