I’ve been keeping a secret for a little while now, but I’ve been told it’s ok to tell….For my birthday this year I got the very best present that I have ever received! My oldest son and his now wife presented me with a card that said simply: HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!

I’m sure most of you can imagine my reaction… I looked at the card, and then I looked at them and then I promptly burst into tears!… great, heaving sobs actually! Because my first thought after registering what I had read and my happiness about it, was how unfair that Claytie isnt here for this!!!

Claytie was the most baby oriented person I have ever known! If there was a small person in the same space as Claytie, he would do everything in his power to engage with them. He would be the most silly, crazy lunatic, pulling all kinds of faces and trying to get a smile or better yet a giggle! If we were going to see friends with babies or young kids, Claytie would stop on the way there to get lollies or something else to make sure he was the favourite person. – it never failed!

He was an amazing dad, and would do anything for the boys! He adored being hands on at all stages… parenthood for him was fun, and he made it fun for me. I know that being a grandad was something he was looking forward to as much as I have, although he probably wouldn’t have admitted it if you asked him.

And now we have a new little person coming into our world, a little person that he would be obsessed with… and he isn’t here to enjoy this new phase. It’s not fair! … and at the same time as processing all of that, I’m deliriously happy that I get to be Granny, that my son gets to experience all of the things that make up the fabulous thing that is parenthood.

I can’t wait to see what kind of parents my kids will be. I would like to think that they have had some pretty great examples around them, and that some of that will have rubbed off. I can’t wait to see what this new little person will look like and what their personality will be. I can’t wait to be Granny and find out what that new next looks like- it’s an adventure that I’m excited about and really looking forward to!