The Transition from Motherhood to Grandmotherhood

This transition is firmly etched in most grandmother's minds. Some women have gracefully accepted that it is time for a new generation to reign, while others would rather slash their wrists than be called a grandma.

Let's be honest. Grandma is not a pretty sounding word, nor does it have a youthful ring to it. Grandmother sounds much more sophisticated, but no one is going to call you that. Unless you can create a pretty sounding word that means parent-of-a-parent, you are undoubtedly going to be called grandma, like it or not.

My friend Lisa married young, had a baby at nineteen, and now, in her early fourties is going to become a grandma. Her youthful looks are important to her, and our card club waited for her to scream and yell in protest to being called a grandma. We expected she would choose a cutesy name, like Sweetie or Honeybun. She surprised us all. Lisa became the most overbearing grandma east of the Mississippi, and she loved being called plain, old grandma. Her motto became, "You have to see my grandchild's pictures," not "would you like to see my grandchild's pictures." Her victims were trapped at the card table as she whipped out the photo album with current weight and measurements, and a swatch from the christening gown.

I always knew that when it came time for me to be a grandma, I would calmly accept the news with joy and dignity. I would congratulate the parents, then get on with my life as I shopped for jammies and booties.

When the phone rang one June day, a male voice said, "Hello grandma." I knew it was a wrong number, but yet the voice did sound like my son. I kept repeating, "hunh, hunh." When I recovered my senses, I knew it was for real and it was my turn to be a grandma, just like my mom and grandma.

Did you hear that world? Can I shout it loud enough? I'm going to become a grandma. From now on, my name is grandma