Being Grand

Kevin and Josh are watching a movie. From the laughter you would think they had never seen Cars even though this is at least the third time they've watched the movie together.

I've been sifting through photo files here on my computer and watching the boys enjoy the movie together. The tractor tipping scene sends them into teary eyed belly laughs and they replay the scene a second time. Kevin ignores the evening influx of emails on his Blackberry and calls go to voice mail for a couple of hours.

This afternoon I handed Josh one of my cameras and steered him out back. Two hundred digital files later, he had the hang of focusing the camera, using the zoom feature on the lens and using the eyepiece instead of the live view screen.

This is the 'grand' part of being a grandparent. The ring of the phone dims under the laughter of this child. You don't care if there is dusting to be done or if supper will be late. A few sprinkles don't deter you and you don't worry about grass stain on your jeans. You don't see the $500 price tag when you hand your camera to your grandchild, you see the tiny butterfly he found that you've missed a hundred times before. You get to be a hero and a genius all rolled into one when you identify a terrible screeching sound as an ugly but harmless cicada.

It was a grand day for all of us.