Seeing Things Differently with the Grandkids

An overnight with our grandkids gave us a chance to explore together our neighborhood’s outdoors and both the serenity and drama nature can produce, often overlooked by us but experienced anew with wonder through them.

We enjoyed our favorite dinner, pizza, then realized we had enough daylight before bedtime to visit our neighbors’ koi pond. They have many large, colorful koi swimming spiritedly through the water, and our grandkids gazed and attempted (unsuccessfully, thankfully) to touch the noses of those bubbling up to the surface.

Near sunset, our back deck became a temporary track for our grandson, eager to imitate the runners of that morning’s Derby Mini-Marathon, and his Daddy, a former cross-country and track runner at Bellarmine. He circled for a few laps, then decided to “cool off” by wrestling our family dog, who’s always eager for attention any way he can get it!

Our granddaughter helped trim our backyard Knockout rose bush, one of two I had planted in honor of the birth of each grandchild, and reminded me that I need to plant a third one now! We were arranging these flowers in vases when a sudden spring storm arose, and our evening outside was cut short with a few claps of thunder. Another wonder of nature surprised us when marble-sized hail pelted the windows. Our grandson, just learning to talk, exclaimed with the wisdom of a two-year-old, “That’s so amazing!”

Bedtime became a cozy time to calm down and review our evening filled with nature’s extremes.

Contributed by Kathy Bolger, Senior Graphic Designer, Today’s Woman magazine