Who Needs Grandchildren?
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: Being Grandma
By Elizabeth Ann Atwater

A child needs a grandparent, anybody’s grandparent, to grow a little more securely into an unfamiliar world.
~Charles and Ann Morse

The four of us have been playing bridge together for years. It was always Alice and me against Susan and Donna. We were all quite good, and we took the games very seriously. We even made small bets to make the games more interesting.

There wasn’t much chatting going on while we played. But when we broke for refreshments, our attitudes changed from poker faces and sly eyes to laughter and small talk. This was the time to catch up on the latest news, gossip, and trivia. It was great fun with the four of us talking over each other and chiming in like good friends do. Then, someone would always mention the recent cute thing that one of their grandchildren had said or done or produce the latest adorable photograph. And the rest would follow suit because they were all loving, doting grandmothers. But not me. I would smile at the anecdotes and admire the cute pictures, but that was all I had to offer because I had not been blessed with grandchildren. (Keep reading)