The First Three Years of a Grandmother's Life

Grandmothers are truly coming into their own. Many of us have had experiences with our grandparents that have enriched our lives. I had two remarkable ones. From one I learned how to get things done and from the other I learned about the power of stories. Stephen Lewis is working with grandmothers to solve many difficult problems in Africa. In Canada and around the world, grandmothers are taking on the task of bringing up children who are parentless.

So it is timely to find the book, The First Three Years of a Grandmother's Life, written by Carol Matthews. Carol has worked as a hospital social worker, an Executive Director of Nanaimo Family Life, and as an instructor and Dean at Malaspina University College. It may be that as Charlotte's grandmother, she has entered the steepest learning curve of her life. This book, based on a series of articles that were written for the journal Relational Child and Youth Care Practice, is illuminating. Charlotte is her own person, as Carol recognized from the moment Charlotte was born. It's not every grandmother that celebrates a granddaughter's ability to say "no" but Carol understands how important it is for Charlotte to do just that. Matthews brings the role of grandmothering into the 21st Century. When Carol and Charlotte view the Vancouver Santa Claus Parade at Christmas, Carol experiences the anomalies of the season: the two kinds of bag people--the shoppers, and the homeless. Over and over, Carol brings an awareness of the complex world our grandmothers find themselves in, a world that can be depressing and demoralizing. Somehow, the wonder and magic, and the fiddling angels that a child sees makes the world a better place to be. There is wisdom, humour and compassion in this book.
Carol will celebrate Grandparents Day, September 10, with a reading at 3:00 p.m. at St Pauls Anglican Hall in Nanaimo. Do join us.