Keeping Up / Keeping In Shape

Being an active grandparent is not for the faint (literally) of heart! I chase. I climb and am climbed upon. I stretch. I carry progressively wiggly bundles of joy. So, at the beginning of a new year, it seems appropriate to be making the following resolution – I will stay in shape so I can be the most hands-on grandmother possible.

I do yoga…and Pilates…and work with a weight trainer. My grandmother never did these things. She just cooked and sewed (both badly, I might add). My mother in her busy life deliberately eschewed any activity that might make her sweaty, that would’ve ruined her hair and make-up. Me? I’m a quivering lump of exhaustion by 8 p.m. five days a week.

My weight trainer actually keeps tabs on my granddaughter’s growth so he can match my lifting in the gym to my lifting as a babysitter. Brilliant! My husband (also a yoga and cardio devotee) and I have managed to cram ourselves into playground equipment so no hidey-hole is left unexplored. We are very participatory. It takes work, sweat and lots of groaning to keep ourselves in proper grandparent shape. Is it worth it?

You bet! The kids have more fun when we can really play with them. And, let’s face it. We have more fun, too. That’s kind of the point of this resolution. I resolve to be the most playful grandmother I can be. Happy 2018 and good luck with your resolutions.