English Summary/英文概要: “You speak for all of us who are tearing our hair out about the generation that separates us from our beloved grandchildren.” —Grandma Sally, Moorestown, New Jersey Being a grandmother, writes Bryna Nelson Paston, is not one of life’s free choices. “You can pick your pet, your alma mater, and your spouse. You can decide when to have kids and how many, if you’re careful. You can be a doctor, lawyer, mountain climber, or plumber. But when and where you become a grandma is your kids’ decision.”
Becoming a grandma is like getting a subpoena. You don’t expect it. You don’t know how to respond. You know you must be mature and accept it. Being a grandma, though, is as close as many of us ever get to perfection. There is only one little problem—the generation in the middle. “Dealing with your child and his or her spouse while you become the most relevant person in your grandchild’s life is tricky at best and downright impossible at worst.”
From that unique point of view, Paston has written a delightful book that explains the rules for grandmothers to assure they will be an important part of their grandchildren’s lives. “We have a window of opportunity as grandparents,” she writes, “usually five years, or maybe more if you’re lucky. So you have to make your move fast and decisively. Your kids and their spouses will intrude, interrupt, and interfere. But persevere. Circumvent them, do exactly what you want, and lie—with dignity, I might add. Whatever it takes. Promise anything, but get the kid.”
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About the Author/作者介绍: BRYNA NELSON PASTON is an overjoyed grandmother of six, aged three to ten, whom she calls “the music of my universe.” Formerly an editor of the Jewish Times (Philadelphia), she has written for numerous national magazines and newspapers. A graduate of Penn State, Paston lives in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. |