Mountain Hippie
04-10-2005, 03:17
On December 15, 2004 I became a Grand Father. I lack the words to describe the overwhelming feelings that I have experienced the past few months, so I will not try. I do know that I had been trying to plan carefully the things that I want to teach her and had started to feel that it would be impossible to teach a child in this day and age all the things that she would need to know. Life today is complicated. We see that fact simply by observing some of the conversations on Whiteblaze. How could anyone teach the right thing when there are two sides to every argument. I realized that I could not. I am not god and I don't have the answer to every question. Sometimes I don't even have the questions.
It was three days ago that I thought about my own Grand Father. I can say without a doubt that he was the one person that I most respected and loved in my life, bar none. I tried to think how he might handle this situation. I know it may sound stupid, but as I thought about him I realized that he "had" handled this type of situation.......... with me.
Some of my earliest memories where of my Grand Father taking me for walks in the woods and on the trails. Of course back then I had no idea that our walks where his way of teaching me that the two things that he valued the most was family and nature. Yet that was exactly what he did.
So for the first time since my Grand Daughter was born I feel that I can help her and I can make a difference in her life. I realize now that I don't need to solve every problem that she might have. I simply need to show and teach her what my Grand Father showed and taught me.
Yesterday I took my Grand Daughter to SNP and introduced her to one of the places that my Grand Father introduced me to many years ago. She is to young to form any memories, but I took pictures and plan to pass them to her when she is older. I also plan to continue my walks with her for as long as I am able.
I have posted a link to the photos that I posted here on Whiteblaze. At less than 4 months old she has literally set foot on the A.T. She covered a whole three foot of the trail, with my help of course. I hope that one day she will develop a love and respect for the trail and it's people.
I also hope that some day, just maybe she will think about me being the one that taught her the same two simple things that my Grand Father taught me. If I can accomplish that, then maybe I too will gain the most important thing that I could ever gain. To be remembered as being the Grand Father that cared enough to teach............... rather than answer.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/1120
Don't pay any attention to the wild hippie looking dude in the photo. It is just her Grand Father. ;)
It was three days ago that I thought about my own Grand Father. I can say without a doubt that he was the one person that I most respected and loved in my life, bar none. I tried to think how he might handle this situation. I know it may sound stupid, but as I thought about him I realized that he "had" handled this type of situation.......... with me.
Some of my earliest memories where of my Grand Father taking me for walks in the woods and on the trails. Of course back then I had no idea that our walks where his way of teaching me that the two things that he valued the most was family and nature. Yet that was exactly what he did.
So for the first time since my Grand Daughter was born I feel that I can help her and I can make a difference in her life. I realize now that I don't need to solve every problem that she might have. I simply need to show and teach her what my Grand Father showed and taught me.
Yesterday I took my Grand Daughter to SNP and introduced her to one of the places that my Grand Father introduced me to many years ago. She is to young to form any memories, but I took pictures and plan to pass them to her when she is older. I also plan to continue my walks with her for as long as I am able.
I have posted a link to the photos that I posted here on Whiteblaze. At less than 4 months old she has literally set foot on the A.T. She covered a whole three foot of the trail, with my help of course. I hope that one day she will develop a love and respect for the trail and it's people.
I also hope that some day, just maybe she will think about me being the one that taught her the same two simple things that my Grand Father taught me. If I can accomplish that, then maybe I too will gain the most important thing that I could ever gain. To be remembered as being the Grand Father that cared enough to teach............... rather than answer.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/1120
Don't pay any attention to the wild hippie looking dude in the photo. It is just her Grand Father. ;)