According to the doctors, Amy should never have lived to see all seven of her grandchildren. Ten years ago, just before retirement, she was diagnosed with an advanced cancer of the uterus that had spread to her colon. Her doctors estimated she had little time to get her affairs in order. But Amy decided to fight back. She endured through three surgeries, chemo, and radiation. Although Amy's body was so weak that she was confined to a wheelchair and unable to even lift her head, she continued to believe in herself. With the support of her oncologist, her family, and the prayers of her church family, she embarked on journey of healing that not only included Western medicine, but acupuncture and other Eastern therapies as well.
One day, a friend invited her to come to her dance lessons, and Amy came to watch, wheelchair and all. That was a turning point in Amy's mind. She believed she could do it. She was going to dance! Now, ten years later, Amy and her husband are on the dance floor, kicking up their heels every week. They are enjoying their grandchildren, and have just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
Here is Amy's pearl: "Parents should give their children the encouragement they need to feel good about themselves. Self-esteem and self-confidence are so important in their young lives growing up. They just need to know that they are their own person, and that they can do and be whatever they want to do and be. One thing they will never need is to have their parents (or any other adult) put them down. Help give your children the confidence to believe in themselves!"
Words of wisdom on raising kids, from grandparents all over the globe.
Grandma's Pearls
I would like to invite you to join me on a journey. On November 1st, 2003, my mother died of pancreatic cancer. Her passing meant not just that I had lost a cherished family member, or that our community had lost a compassionate human being, but as a grandma she had a plethora of "pearls" on nearly any topic of child rearing, and these were gone with her as well. When I became a pediatrician in 1988, I would tap into her common-sense knowledge on a regular basis. Through the years, I found that many of my pediatric patients' grandparents enjoyed sharing their words of wisdom with me in my office, and I found these pearls especially valuable when I started my own family over ten years ago.
The journey I'm proposing is a shared attempt to capture this vast collection of accumulated wisdom on my blog. "Grandma's Pearl's" will celebrate a very special group of individuals who deserve to have a forum for sharing their hard-earned life lessons with others. It will be a compilation of advice from grandparents from all walks of life...capturing the insights of the grandparent-next-door, to the still-out-in-the workforce grandparent, to more.
My hope is that "Grandma's Pearls" will be a ray of inspiration for both new parents and experienced parents alike. Not a "how-to" manual on baby care, but rather a collection of practical, no-nonsense tips on how to raise good kids. You can share a couple of sentences, a paragraph, or a full-blown story if you'd like. I welcome you to share your pearls of wisdom and wit with the world!
Questions (these are suggestions only)....substitute in "dad, grandfather," etc. where appropriate:
- What tips do you (or passed down from your mother, mother-in-law, or grandmother) have on raising caring, happy, responsible, and well-adjusted kids?
- What did you (or your mom) do right, and/or what could have been done better?
- Was there a transforming moment in your (or your mom's) life that served as a guide in raising children? As a result of this moment, is there a "pearl" to pass on?
- Do you have a favorite "grandmotherly" quote that has helped you in parenting your children?
To submit a "pearl" click on:
About Me
- docmom
- I was a pediatrician in my former life...now I'm a mom with two kids. I think I've learned as much in the 10+ years I've been home with my kids as in all my years of medical school and pediatric training. Now, in memory of my own mom (who was on chemo and radiation when the above photo was taken), I'd like to pass on pearls of wisdom from all those smart grandparents out there!
- Adversity Quotient: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities (Paul G. Stoltz, PhD)
- Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff (Richard Carlson, PhD)
- How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk (Faber and Mazlish)
- How to Talk So Teens Will Listen and Listen So Teens Will Talk (Faber and Mazlish)
- Inch and Miles: The Journey to Success (John Wooden)
- Love Made Visible (Paul Brenner)
- Odd Girl Out (Rachel Simmons)
- Parenting With Purpose--Five Keys to Raising Children with Values and Vision (Marilyn L. Lane)
- Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys (Kindlon and Thompson)
- Raising Resilient Children: Fostering Strength, Hope, and Optimism in Your Child (Robert Brooks and Sam Goldstein)
- Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons From the Myths of Boyhood (Pollack and Pipher)
- Siblings Without Rivalry (Faber and Mazlish)
- The Last Lecture (Randy Pausch)
- The Miracle Year (Lanie Carter)
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If you do not wish to grant Grandma's Pearls these rights, it is suggested that you do not submit information to this website. Grandma's Pearls reserves the right to select, edit and arrange submissions, and to remove information from the Grandma's Pearls website at any time at its sole discretion.
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