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Mimmie and Grandpa
By Rosemary Gross
I'm so thankful for this time to sit down and type how wonderful my in-laws have been. I don't even know were to begin without saying to myself "this is my big chance to recognize how great I really have it." I'm not talking about the usual breaks we get at least two times a week and then on the weekends. I'm talking about how great it feels to have someone I trust and love like they were my own mom and dad.
Their names are Sue and Bruce, and they both work. Sue works for a nursing home for mental illnesses and has been doing it for 13 years. Bruce works at a high school as a custodian, but it really doesn't stop there. Bruce gets called to the high school on a continuous basis at all hours of the night. For example, if an alarm is going off at the high school Bruce has to go to the high school and check on it even during holidays if need be.
Sue and Bruce have three kids of their own. The youngest is Brandon who is 16, then there is Ryan who is 18 and my husband Wade who is 25 years old. The reason why I'm sharing all this with you is because I want you to picture how stressful everyday life could be. Even though they both work and have two kids at home, they always seem to put their lives on the back burner when it comes to their two adorable breathtaking grandchildren: my daughter, Destinee, who is 19 months, and Wade who is 8 months old. If it wasn't for the love and support of my in-laws, I honestly believe in my heart life would have been a lot harder on Wade and me.
When I was pregnant back with Destinee, Wade and I were living in an efficiency apartment with only enough space for the two of us, not for our daughter we were expecting to have soon and definitely not a safe environment for our daughter to be raised in. So we moved in with Wade's parents. Even though we had to all adjust to the change, they were always there trying to help us out in anyway they could. Sue would come home from work with a huge bag full of clothes for our baby before she even was born, and Bruce would bring me to WIC appointments, doctor appointments. I had some medical problems with Destinee so my visits to the doctors were often.
Wade and I lived at his parents' house for a little over a year before we got our own place and we never really had to contribute toward the rent or the bills until toward the end and that was just to help his parents out since they took the responsibility of three more mouths to feed and shelter.
When Wade and I moved out we were expecting to have another baby together – it was a boy. We have been in our own place for a little over a year now, and my in-laws are still wonderful to us. When I need a break, all it takes is one phone call. When I have to get to WIC, doctors or grocery shopping they're still there, and when I need some advice about my kids' needs, I can always count on them to be a good listener and understanding. They always try to offer whatever advice is in the best interest of the kids.
There has been so many times my father-in-law has stopped by after work and would ask if he can take Destinee, Wade or both at times. They are on a continuous basis trying to do whatever they can to show us they care, and when they're with the kids they're so in tune with their grandkids and spoil them rotten. Destinee could tell you whom her favorite Mimmie and Grandpa are and someday Wade will be able to as well.
I have gone over to my in-laws' house to visit and it feels like I'm having a vacation – they do everything for their grandkids. Sue gives both the kids a bath and feeds them. They both play with their grandkids. I would ask if they need a hand but they would respond "no."
I can't imagine my life, or my kids' lives, without their Mimmie and Grandpa!