GRAND Magazine - Fall 2022 - 15

grand living
The granny who
stands on her head
BY ANN RICHARDSON
S
omewhere in the middle of my seventies,
I realized that I liked being old.
Now that I am 80, I feel this with even
greater certainty. I love the stronger relationships
with friends and family that come with
age. I also love the much-increased confidence
and the sense of growing into ourselves
- and liking ourselves - that is almost
always part of the package.
And, of course, I love being a grandmother,
as the grandmother-grandchild relationship
is incredibly special.
I found myself feeling so strongly about
all these issues that, being a writer already,
I wrote a book about it: The Granny Who
Stands on her Head: Reflections on Growing
Older. This offers a serious exploration of
many both 'good' and 'bad' aspects of growing
older but comes down, without any
doubt, to a very positive view.
Since GRAND is about being a grandparent,
let me illustrate the pleasure of this
status with one story.
I have been involved with my two grandsons
since they were first born - and was the
15 GRAND Summer 2022
first person to hold the older one when
he first emerged via caesarean section
from the womb.
But a few weeks ago, I took the
younger grandson away for five days
to Paris for the first time. This is not
far, as we live in London.
I became, for the first time in many
years, a true tourist. We went to the
Eiffel Tower; we walked around Notre
Dame which is still in the process of being
restored and we floated down the Seine on a
Bateau Mouche (the riverboat for tourists).
We ate croissants and delicious ice
cream. We had leisurely walks where we
could talk and explore ideas. It was such a
joy to take all this in through the eyes of a
12-year-old boy.
I do recommend taking a trip alone
with a grandchild. There is such mutual
benefit.
I know he will remember this trip for
the rest of his life. And so, will I.
And yes, I do stand on my head, which
can be viewed here.
"
Somewhere in
the middle of my
seventies,
I realized that
I liked being old
"
Ann Richardson writes articles on all sorts of
subjects. Her most recent book, The Granny
Who Stands on her Head, comprises a series
of reflections on growing older and is partly
a memoir.

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GRAND Magazine - Fall 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - Fall 2022