A very long time ago before we got married we had a conversation about the future. One topic we talked about was having children. I don’t remember much of the conversation, but I remember saying, “I think I’d like to be a grandfather someday.” I’m not sure how I came up with that notion, but the idea stuck with me. It seems to me now as if I haver almost always wanted to be a grandpa.

Of course back then, my notion of who a grandpa was and what a grandpa did was mostly based in imagination. At least I don’t think that I wanted to be like my grandpa, although he definitely had some rather appealing qualities. What I imagined, rather, is that I would spend my time making toys and games for children. I didn’t consider that when I got older I might have some health concerns or that I might sometimes worry about money and finances.

Despite all of that, I am happy to report that now, with a little more than 13 years under my belt, I really love being a grandpa. I’m glad that the world worked out so that I have grandchildren. On a silly note, once I told our children that I thought that five grandchildren would be a good number. I said, I don’t care how it works out, but that five seems like a good number. And I now am grandpa to five grandchildren.

A deep joy of my life is that retirement has given us the gift of living near four of those grandchildren. Their place is 2.7 miles from our house. I am able to make it to their school programs and other special events.

Our other grandson, however, lives 3,000 miles away in South Carolina. His father is in the Air Force and the family has moved to follow him in his career. While South Carolina is a long way from where we live, at least it is on the same continent. Our grandson was born in Japan. We did get two wonderful trips to Japan out of their time of serving there, but we feel happy that they are back in the United States. Our son in law likely will serve for a few more years before retiring from the Air Force, so it is possible that they will move to another place before his retirement.

So being in South Carolina to visit is a blessing for us. We flew here the day before yesterday and though we didn’t know it would be this way when we planned our trip, we got here just in time for grandparents day at our grandson’s school yesterday morning. I don’t know, but it is likely that we are the grandparents who traveled the farthest to come to grandparents day.

Grandparents day didn’t involves too much for the grandparents of the Kindergarten class. We sat with them for a short service in the chapel and sang songs with the children. Then we went to the kindergarten room with our grandson’s class and saw his classroom. The class sang a song for us and we had a treat with our grandchildren. We got to meet his teacher, who showed us some of his work and told us what we already knew: that he is a delightful boy and a joy to have in class.

Being a grandpa doesn’t require much. Sometimes, like grandparents day, all I have to do is show up and pay attention. There are a few other skills that have helped me as a grandpa.

I know how to use tools and can make most adjustments and repairs to bicycles. Our grandchildren grow quickly and I often am called on to raise seats and adjust handlebars.

I love to read children’s stories and can make a few different voices. I am not afraid of the monster at the end of the book, but I can read it as if I am surprised by the ending. I love Go Dog Go and can read it over and over again without getting bored.

I know how to look into children’s eyes and pay attention to know how much tickling is just right. I know when to quit and I know how to produce a giggle when I am tickled. A lot of children go through a phase when I can tickle them without touching them, a skill that seems to be appreciated in a grandpa.

I can curl my tongue and wink both eyes.

I can swim the length of a swimming pool under water and come up beneath a young swimmer and blow bubbles that tickle their bellies. And Papa is pretty good at launching a youngster into the air to land with a big splash in the pool.

I happen to have a lot of kites and I like teaching kids how to make and fly kites. We are staying at a vacation rental property that is right on the beach on the Isle of Palms for the weekend. It is a perfect place to fly kites and I brought at least one kite that will be happy to find a new home with our Grandson if he enjoys flying it on the beach.

There are a few other things I’m good at. Several days ago I was driving with our oldest grandson when he declared, “I don’t want to get old!” I’ll never be able to remember all of the grandpa jokes. My jokes are more likely to garner a groan than a laugh these days and I’m pretty sure I’ve told all of them and the kids are getting repeats, but they seem to be learning patience with me.

Today my gratitude prayer is one of deep thanksgiving for being a grandfather who is allowed to spend time with his grandchildren. I was pretty young and inexperienced and naive when I said that I thought I would like to be a grandpa some day. But I was right. I do like being a grandpa.