GRAND Magazine - March/April 2017 - 35

invisible grands

Now they see me

BY PAT HANSON

M

y heart just melted looking into the smiling wide brown eyes
of my 18- month-old grandchild, my second-born's son. His
father said, "He got those brown eyes from you, Grandma.
Did anyone in your family have his strawberry blonde hair?" My heart
skipped a beat as I realized those golden locks came from my paternal
grandmother, "Ga Ga."
Recently I look a trip to the aquarium with the family. Some parents were pushing strollers: others like ours were letting toddlers run
from room to room, marveling as sea lions, giant turtles, and sting rays
swam past. Grands and even great-grands sat on welcome benches,
shaking our heads and wondering, "How'd we do it?"

"

"

Keep judgments of any kind to yourself.
Bite your tongue!

ughter, Sierra
a
d
d
n
ra
g
r
e
h
Pat with

Click here
Tips for Staying
Engaged With
Your Adult Kids
and Grandkids
PLUS Resources
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Grandparents

35 GRAND

Ivan "Love face"
MARCH APRIL 2017

I can count on my hands the times I've visited my first-born's son,
who turns 17 in February and was raised by his lovely then teenage
mom. I have another granddaughter who is now 15. Her mother, not
the same woman, kept me from seeing her, too. But time can heal. My
son has cleaned up his act and now has a loving wife who is a great
mom to two-and-a-half year old Sierra and baby, Ivan (who I refer to
as "Love face").
Still, as an invisible grandparent to some of my grandchildren, and
a visible grandparent to others, I have learned a few things about
being a careful grandparent. I still ache to leave a living legacy in the
lives of my invisible grandkids but the monthly support group I run
for Alienated Grandparents, and the resources presented here help me
think in terms of possibilities and know I'm not alone.

Dr. Pat Hanson is a seasoned health educator, public speaker, and
workshop facilitator. She is the author of Invisible Grandparenting:
Leave A Legacy Of Love Whether You Can Be There or Not. She
lectures nationally on Aging Positively and is a columnist for the
magazine: Crone: Women Coming of Age.

ARE YOU AN INVISIBLE
GRANDPARENT?

and Dr. Pat
Hanson
presents

THE INVISIBLE
GRANDPARENT
FIRST AID KIT
Transcend Invisibility - Heal Separation Leave a Legacy of Love

Stop waiting, start healing
and sign up today!

A must read
for estranged
grandparents
Click here
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Grandparenting
Available in paperback, on Kindle,
for all devices and audible.com


http://www.grandparentsacademy.com http://www.grandmagazine.com/2017/02/ive-learned-to-bite-my-tongue-and-now-they-see-me/ http://www.amzn.to/2bEulmL http://www.amzn.to/2bEulmL http://www.invisiblegrandparent.com/ http://www.leavealegacyoflovenow.com/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GPRQ222/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1 http://www.cronemagazine.com/ http://www.audible.com/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GPRQ222/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - March/April 2017

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2024winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2023fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2023summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2023winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20181112_drm
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20161112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20151112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/201401112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20131112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20121112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20111112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20101112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/201001_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200912_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200911_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200909_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200908_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200907_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200906_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200905_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20080910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200904_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200903_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200902_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20081112_v6
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com