Poppy is the provider of the “I Want” things for her grandchildren. It has been that way since our first granddaughter, thirteen years ago. (Yes, her pockets have been going through for a while) I am the most prudent provider of purchases and provisions (stingy); and they know it. On one occasion, Poppy had to pick up our oldest granddaughter from daycare. On the way home, she told him that they had to go to a store and buy a toy for her to play with until her parents arrived. She immediately called me at work for help. I told her to take her to the dollar store, give her $5.00 and give her a math lesson. In just a few minutes my phone rang again, “Ugh, she says grandma always takes her to the green store and she wants to go to Walmart.”
I told him which island to go to (yes I know Walmart like that) and to find the toy display where all the toys were in primary colors and priced from $3.88 to $9.88 (with men you have to be descriptive). I did not receive another phone call; so I assumed that everything had gone well. I came home to find them both in matching aprons waiting for the last cake to come out of their new Easy Bake Oven. I looked at Poppy and the look on my face prompted him to say quickly, “I found the hallway you described, but she told me it was the hallway you always took her down. Then she grabbed my hand and led me to a different hallway. “. hallway and excitedly pointed to the Easy Oven.” Do you know anyone looking for an easy oven to bake almost new, used only once? I have that AND the one our daughter had.
Poppy is also the pocket money provider, giving each of our grandchildren a weekly allowance for their “Wants.” Our youngest son is three years old; and, just the other day, he went to her mother with his wallet in his hand and announced, “It’s all gone.” My daughter took a few dollars from her wallet to put into the now empty purse, which was immediately slammed shut and accompanied by a new announcement: “No! Take it back. Poppy is giving me money.”
Poppy is surely in the running to be the best grandpa ever; but he had deep and lasting tracks to follow: his father. I see parallels in the patterns of their unconditional expressions of love and inherent senses of responsibility toward his grandchildren. God has truly blessed you with the Perfect Poppy.
