The Fine Art of Family Magazine

I never met my grandparents. They had either passed away before I was born or I was too young to remember them.  My daughters, on the other hand, are extremely lucky to not only have two, but three  grandmothers (the third being my stepmother). At one point, they even had a fourth (a great-grandmother), who they remember fondly for speaking her mind.

Mother’s Day, as you know, is about all mothers. If you were fortunate to grow up knowing several generations of mothers, then you had the wonderful advantage to experience your heritage firsthand, as my daughters have. With all three grandmas living so close, they were very present and active in my girls’ lives from birth. Getting involved so early on meant they had a heavy hand in helping guide and shape their lives. Now, looking at my daughters, I can clearly see their great influences, from my mother’s European culture and determination to my mother-in-law’s elegance and impeccable style.

I know grandmothers can occasionally make you a little crazy, but whenever I catch my girls rolling their  eyes and saying ‘Oh Grandma‘,  I remind to them just how lucky they are to have three women who care so much and are permanently on their side, especially when their parents seem to not be. As one anonymous quotation perfectly sums it up: “Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting.” (For more  original quotes on parenting check out “Thoughtful Thursdays” later this week.)

The added benefit of having three generations in one room is that my daughters get to observe my relationship with my own mother (that’s us when I was a child, pictured above). I realize that I have to set a good example for my kids, so I treat my mom the way I want my kids to treat me.

This May 9th, after you call your mom, take an extra moment to dial your grandma(s) and let her know how important she is to you. If your grandparents are no longer with us, then remember how much you learned from them or simply appreciate the fact that they helped set the ball in motion for your own life.

Happy Mother’s Day!!

xox,

M

P.S. To celebrate all moms, we’ve got a great lineup of stories―from an iconic American mom recipe to a special video about one mother’s reunion with a lost heirloom―this week. Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter to enter your name in the random drawing to win our Mother’ Day Giveaway. We’ll announce the winner on Sunday, May 9th.

Published on May 2, 2010

Tags: Celebrating, Family, Monicas Blog