I would not be the person I am today without the influence of my grandparents on my life. Their impact was direct and indirect, with the indirect weighing the heaviest. Some of them shared their stories with me, good, bad, and otherwise and in these stories they revealed themselves to be, like me, like us all, flawed human beings. They were not always the hero of the story by any means, and sometimes I wondered then and now if they knew the tale made them look less than ideal. Maybe they did, and that is why they shared, to present what not to say or do by example.
But what I felt most of all was the radiating, genuine energy of ‘a chance to a relationship differently. I was not their only grandchild by a long shot and I believe some of my cousins on both sides of my family would agree. What a gift to be a grandchild of a grandparent who wants to attempt a do-over. That does not mean they were awful parents, partners, or siblings, but we all have regrets, memories that haunt of things we would have said differently, done differently, and moments we wish we could take back or do penance for. Perhaps grandchildren are this opportunity for penance. If our parents want to give us a better chance (leg up, start to life etc., etc.) than they had; then grandparents (the best of them) want to show us what unconditional love is. Grandparents give grace.