Grandparenting: Samurai Style

Being a grandparent is one of life’s biggest joys. I did not fully understand why my friends would be ‘head-over-heels’ when they spoke of their grandchildren. Now… I understand, and I am the same way!

When our first grandchild, Kaiya, was born it did and still warms my heart and brings so much joy. She is definitely a ‘first born;’ tenacious, self-starter, high achiever, and keeps me on my toes. She possesses the qualities of a samurai; courage, integrity, honesty, and honor. I am reminded of my samurai heritage, and treat her individually as a ‘samurai in training’ when interacting with her. She definitely walks down the straight and narrow path. She considers her actions, and how it affects her younger siblings, and is a wonderful ‘big sister.’ In kindergarten, her schoolwork was of utmost importance, and we read and do homework together, and enjoy the learning process. She enjoys whittling and discovering the woods with her grandfather. We enjoy cooking, dress up, and crafts together.

Our second grandchild, Kenji, was born prematurely, but he was a fighter! It gravely concerned us as we watched him in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) connected to tubes and fighting for his life. It was truly a blessing as he was released before Christmas to join his older sister. He is a very caring person, displaying qualities of courage, benevolence, and loyalty. I love his caring heart, and he is compassionate to his younger sisters. He was a great ‘big brother’ when he woke up in the middle of the night, comforted his twin sisters, and gave them the pacifiers that fell out. He shared that he liked being inside like Grandma, and enjoys acting and dressing up as a ninja, samurai, and/or action figure. He likes story time, and walking in the woods to find treasures with Grandpa.

It has been a privilege to have both grandchildren overnight at our home. The special treat of picking them up from school, bringing snacks, and planning our stay together is enjoyed by all of us. The grandchildren have been taught to be polite, respectful, and obey elders; discipline is rarely a problem. Once in a while, they are reminded to be obedient if they are out of line, and they quickly change their ways. Being a grandparent is a good reminder to utilize the Code of Bushido; courage, integrity, benevolence, respect, honesty, and loyalty in ourselves and our interactions with our grandchildren.

We look forward to the day when the three younger granddaughters can spend the night with us!