2 Grandmas

My daughter Allison and her husband Dave, who live in southwest Florida, just gave birth to a little girl. 

Allison’s mother-in-law, Andrea, and I decided to take a road trip to visit them since in today’s Covid-19 world, we did not feel comfortable flying. We planned for a ride each way of somewhere between 18 to 20 hours, which would include a one-night hotel stay.

While excited about the adventure – and of course seeing our kids and welcoming sweet Zoey to our families – I had a bunch of thoughts swirling around my head for weeks leading up to our travel.  

In no particular order, here’s the list:

1 – How will I manage pumping gas?  I figured we’d have to refill at least 3 or 4 times each way.  It had been 36 years since I had pumped my own gas, being a New Jersey (and very spoiled) resident.

2 – How will Andrea and I get along?  It could go either way with 2 people spending that much time together in such close quarters. 

3 – Will we feel skeeved out if we had to stop along the way, either for a meal/snacks and/or a bathroom? I certainly didn’t want my snack-a-holic habits to become a problem for my driving companion, nor did I want my frequent trips to the bathroom to be an issue either.

4 – Will we feel safe in the hotels?  If not, then what? 

5 – Am I going to wish I had colored my hair before the trip? It had been 5 months. I had begun seeing my mom when I looked in the mirror.

Here’s how it all played out: 

Pumping gas was a bit hairy at first, with the gas dripping down the side of the car initially but, by the second time, I had it nailed.

Andrea and I yapped for 10 days straight, including 30 out of 40 hours in the car. It wasn’t an effort…we are w o m e n…need I say more? We threw in some podcasts for variety, listened to music from our earlier years, compared the recordings of songs like “Both Sides Now” (Joni Mitchell and Seal) and the Dreamgirls song “And I Am Telling You” (Jennifer Holiday and Jennifer Hudson), and sang to Motown and her favorite: country music, of which I might be a new fan.

This one is especially impressive…we did not stop one time to go to a bathroom! It may not have been the healthiest decision, but limiting our fluid intake that day (I had none; Andrea had a cup of coffee) certainly made for an easier ride. We had also brought a ton of food, including delicious egg salad prepared by Andrea that we stuffed inside of raisin bread, fruits and vegetables, lots of other snacks…and chocolates too, of course.

Regarding my gray locks…Baby Zoey’s eyes were drawn to lights, so I wandered in to the kids’ bathroom a few times so she could see them and, while there, I was compelled to examine the blueish hue of my gray/white hair as I looked in the mirror. I was sure that I looked more like a “MomMom” than Andrea looked like a “Grandma Andi,” but I actually found the gray kind of cool, given the times. 

Our hotels were fine; we wore masks in common areas and wiped down door knobs, faucets, surfaces, remotes, lamps and so on, and we also brought our own pillowcases. ……………………………………………………………….…….....................................................

As you would expect, it was love at first sight when I met Zoey, and I got the feeling she felt that way about me, too 😊.

All week long, I reveled in seeing my daughter as a mommy, and Dave as a daddy.  It is truly remarkable to witness our kids transform into parents.

I am grateful that they allowed us to be part of such a special time in their lives and that we got to give Zoey some squeezes and kisses, albeit through a mask.

Thank goodness for FaceTime and for all the videos and pictures so easily accessible on my phone that will remind me of her beautiful smile, her sweet sounds and the sheer magic of this time.  All these things will help to ease the separation blues I already have for her and that keep me well connected with my other loves, Eliana and Ethan.     

  

I am blessed with three grandchildren for now – with a fourth one on the way – how amazing is that?!?!? 

My heart is growing and growing and growing and growing...