Grilled Grandma: Grandma Honey
How many children do you have? Two daughters.
How many grandchildren? What are their ages? Twenty five in a blended family. Ages 15 to 35.
Any great grandchildren? One
What do your grandchildren call you? Honey
After the initial elation, what was your first concern upon hearing you would soon be a grandmother? A healthy child
How often do you get to see your grandchildren? We live apart in six different states. As often as possible. We make an effort to be a family.
What is the best thing about being a grandma? Knowing they feel I am always there for them when needed with no questions asked.
What is the most challenging part of being a grandma? Nothing. Nothing at all.
In addition to "grandmother," what other hats do you wear? I am a wife. A daughter, a mother, a girlfriend, an author, a volunteer and I own an Internet company.
Describe a recent time that one (or more) of your grandchildren made you laugh out loud. We were in a salt water fish shop purchasing two beautiful fish for Josuah’s salt water fish tank and we laughed so hard when we were deciding on names.
What is your favorite thing to do with grandchildren who visit your house? We sightsee. I live in Chicago in the city and in Palm Springs. And spend loving time sharing our thoughts.
What is your favorite thing to do when visiting grandchildren at their house? I take them to the Apple Store or a store of there choice for one gift because we don’t live near one another. I believe the greatest gift I can leave my grandchildren is what I leave them in their heads so I am not an indulging grandmother in a material sense.
What/where has been your favorite family vacation? Normandy, France. We want our grandchildren to always be proud Americans and love and pay respect to their country, the USA.
How do you maintain the bond between yourself and your grandchildren between visits? We text all the time.
What do you most want to pass along to your grandchildren? Love of family. Love of self. Love of good values. Love of curiosity. To have wanderlust and to live their life outside the box.
What is one word you hope your grandkids think of when they think of you? Non-confrontational and a good listener and of course, living.
What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier as a grandparent? Nothing. I am proud of my role as their Honey.
What is one thing (or more) you're proud to say you do right as a grandma? I have never raised my voice to my grandchildren and love them unconditionally.
What one bit of advice would you give a new grandma? Be their GRANDmother; not their mother.
Is there anything else you would you like to add about being a grandmother? I always tell my grandchildren to see their glass half full and make lemonade out of their lemons. In adult terms: be resilient.
Do you have a website or blog? What is the URL and what is it about? HoneyGood.com. A lifestyle blog for women after fifty. HoneyGoodNetwork.com A site at honey good where women form group meet-ups.
Do you have other works you'd like to share (books, published pieces, charitable causes to promote, home biz, etc)? A book: Stories for my Grandchild. I am the author. The keepsake book is a journal for a grandmother to record the story of her life, her feelings and her message and give it to her grandchild. It is a keepsake treasure to be handed down generation after generation.