If you passed my grandmother on the street in the 1970s, you’d have been unimpressed. A World War I immigrant who dropped out of school in the fourth grade to work in a textile mill, she looked like every other Portuguese grandmother in town.She wore a kerchief, sturdy shoes, and stockings. Granny carried a big black purse and smelled faintly of cabbage and coffee. She loved children, soap operas, and laughter.Granny had a big personality in a small body. When she was happy, she’d throw her head back and cackle. When she was mad, you’d better run. Words I could never find in my Portuguese/English dictionary flew out of her mouth like fireworks on the Fourth of July.She spent most of her life caring for other people’s children. She never learned to drive, never owned a house, and never left a bill unpaid. Of all the people who have touched my life, my grandmother made one of the greatest impacts. Now that I’m a grandmother (four grands and counting), I think often about my granny’s legacy. And I think about my own. What do I want to teach my grandchildren? What virtues do I want to pass along? What memories do I hope to make with them?One thing I know for sure—if I want our time together to be meaningful, I can’t just wish it. I have to intentionally make it so. Here are 5 ways to make time with your grandchildren more meaningful.
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