I learned early on, that being a terrific grandparent actually requires a great many skills and expertise in all kinds of varied areas. In the summer, I was called upon to be, not just a swimming instructor, but the chief architect of dozens of sandcastles constructed on sandy beaches as my granddaughter assisted with pail and shovel. In the Fall, I was a naturalist pointing out varieties of trees by the shape of the colored leaves that fell around us on hikes through the woods. Snowflakes of winter piled high, challenging the sculptor in me to fashion a host of icy snowmen or taking on the role of general, crafting strategies that would vanquish an oncoming army of snowball throwers. Spring was always my favorite. As the frozen ground began to thaw, temperatures rose, breezes lofted in the air, carrying visions of fragile kites drifting among the clouds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One April afternoon, after watching a Mary Poppins video, my granddaughter Bria decided that we should go outside and fly a kite. The only kite on hand was one grandma bought last spring which was so battered from a useless attempt to get it airborne, it was retired. Despite its beat-up state, my granddaughter pleaded, and so a quick repair with a roll of tape and a plastic rod, and we were on our way to the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bria attacked the playground equipment with the energy of a four-year-old and I happily assumed that she\u2019d forgotten about the kite. No such luck. After twenty minutes of running, jumping, sliding, and swinging, she leaned on me, exhausted, and said, \u201cGrandpa, I think I\u2019m ready for my kite now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I reluctantly retrieved the spent plastic glider from the car, unwound a length of twine, and began to run, the kite bobbling behind me. Twenty, thirty, forty feet, and the kite barely moved. My granddaughter looked at me with total disappointment. I took a deep breath and raced across the thick, green grass, the kite in tow. The thing twisted and turned and swayed in every direction but up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I squinted at the treetops. Not one single leaf was moving. Zero wind. With renewed determination, I flashed back and forth, back and forth, the kite bouncing on the ground behind me. For fifteen minutes I ran to every corner of the park. By now, so much sweat was dripping into my eyes, I nearly ran head-on into a spruce tree. My shirt was drenched, my calf muscles about to explode. My arms were aching, my head was starting to feel as high as\u2026a kite\u2026just not this one. Light-headed enough to faint, I turned back just in time to see the kite catch a freak burst of wind and\u2026up it went. Gasping for a breath, I screamed, \u201cLook. It\u2019s up!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bria stared skyward, caught sight of the kite, and a grin spread from ear to ear. She laid on the ground, folded her hands behind her head, casually crossing her legs. I stood there puffing, feeling vindicated, triumphant. Then she said, \u201cNow sing the kite song, Grandpa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKite song?\u2019 I choked. \u201cWhat kite song?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe one from Mary Poppins. Sing it, Grandpa,\u201d she said matter-a-factly. I drew a blank. She was certain that I knew every kid song ever written and was truly disappointed as I fumbled to fake it with a handful of kite-rhyming words. \u201cIt\u2019s so right to fly a kite\u2026into the night\u2026that\u2026that\u2026 the clouds of white\u2026will\u2026will cause a fright that\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot that one, grandpa. The other one. The one from Mary Poppins,\u201d she called out. She stared at me\u2026waiting, and I had nothing. Things couldn\u2019t get worse. That\u2019s when I lost concentration for just a split second. The kite dipped and wound up hanging on the telephone wires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy kite! You tangled it up,\u201d she cried. Now I\u2019m in for it, I thought. I\u2019ll never hear the end of this one. As I shamefully lowered the kite down from the wires to try and untangle it, my granddaughter scampered by me with a giggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet\u2019s play hide-and-seek, grandpa. I\u2019ll be the seeker.\u201d I breathed a great sigh of relief. Thank goodness, I thought. Thank goodness for the truly forgiving nature\u2026 and the very short attention span of a four-year-old.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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