Okay, so all of us agree... we enjoy our role, as a GRANDparent, but it's also equally rewarding and beneficial to be grand friends, grand associates, grand supporters; you name it. We can be GRAND in so many ways.

As straightforward as it sounds, we were here first, before all of the names! So consider this: how often have you gone to dinner with friends and family, and just chatted about the grandkids? You've flipped through everybody's adorable pictures until the kids and the pics all look alike. Does this seem familiar? It's not that it's a terrible thing. However, we would like you to take time to be present and mindful, and focus on what your interests are, and what makes you the person you're. Go ahead, there is nothing selfish or self-centered about sharing all that makes you... YOU! What about talking about what is happening in your lives? Our purpose here... let's not lose our identity. It's as easy as that. Let us remember to take some time for ourselves.

Let us contribute to our personal (Grand)ness by:

-Communicating our fantasies and desires and sharing it freely with our family and friends

-Doing something which is hard or challenges our identity - yes, we can dye our hair purple if we like!

-Taking that one trip we always swore we'd take -- whether it is seeing Yosemite, hiking through the Italian countryside, visiting Cuba, spending a few nights in a mountain cabin, or pitching a tent in your backyard. 

-Finally going to that 1 restaurant we swore we were going to attempt two years ago

-Going to the movies in the middle of the day in the middle of the week

-Reading that one particular book that we promised we would read

-Taking the class or lecture series that consistently spikes our interest

-Really and truly exercising at least 30 minutes per day

-Asking a friend and taking the time to go to dinner, to the museum, to a drama

-Volunteering our time... to some cause that is precious to us

-Playing the piano, or picking up the guitar that's been sitting in the corner for years

-Sitting back and being grateful for who we are and where we are. Let's take a moment to self-reflect in the middle of a hectic day.