Second Chances

Second chances.

It is not often in life that we get a true second chance. Most of the time we have to settle for the first time around. 

However, what I am discovering is that being a grandparent is like having a second chance. It is the opportunity to experience the most miraculous thing of all, except this time you really get it. 

You are no longer sleep deprived or overwhelmed like you were the first time through.  The full responsibility of child rearing no longer falls on your shoulders. You can drink in the brilliance of your grandchild's smile, brag about their talents, and savor the sweetness of their tiny arms reaching for you. 

While it was no less special the first time around you really didn't grasp the full understanding of how quickly it would all pass by, and how much you would miss it. I once read a book that stated, "Girlhood is short as summer." Those words really stuck with me as I watched my daughter's childhood slip through my fingers. 

Little did I realize that there would be something called grandparenthood that would allow me the blessing of a second chance.