Grandfather

When talking to grandparents, you may find that they seem overly enthusiastic about their grandchildren. Conversely, grandchildren can be visibly happy with their grandparents. What a special relationship that is. Now that I have recently become a grandfather myself, I am going to explore this further. Especially in practice, of course. My granddaughter Emma is the most beautiful baby in the world. She is very intelligent, musical, empathetic, caring and sweet. This is not an exaggeration, it is really true.

Memories of my grandparents
After Emma was born, my thoughts turned to my grandparents. Four fantastic people. I have mentioned my grandfathers more often in this column. My grandfather from Amsterdam in particular stands out in my memory, because I spent a lot of time with him. We used to go shopping together in Valkenburg in the FIAT. He lived on Bergstraat, which was very convenient, especially with that FIAT. It rarely started, so you could let it slide down the hill and then release the clutch. It was always fun. He imparted a lot of wisdom to me that I still remember to this day. But he wasn't just there for me; all my cousins remember him fondly. They associate him mainly with an ebony object that was kept in the living room as a decoration. He could rub it with his hand, sometimes groaning as he did so, and then liquorice sweets would come out.

My other grandfather was not very talkative. He was also my godfather, but I didn't see much of him. He often kept to himself in company, and his highlight of the week began when his card-playing friends arrived. Van Gogh could have created a masterpiece from this group of unusual characters. The card table had a space underneath where you could place your glass. They drank from small glasses, but the alcohol percentage was not low. In our sparse conversations, Grandpa once told me that he drank 13 Keizerbitters one Sunday while playing cards.
The grandmothers are less prominent. Yet I lived with my grandmother in Amsterdam for years, as a kind of caregiver. I actually know the most about her because we often sat together at the table and she liked to talk about her blissful childhood in Amsterdam. I don't think she ever felt at home in Limburg. My other grandmother died too early for me to have really known her well. In her last days, like my father, she stayed in Klevarie.

The fifth generation
Most grandparents I know today are very happy with their grandchildren. I don't know why that is yet, but as I said, I'm going to investigate it. For me, it's wonderful to see your own child become a father. I also love the fact that a new generation has been born. In my life, I have now known five generations of my family. If I live to be as old as my grandfather from Limburg, I will also get to see the sixth generation. I hope she grows up happy and makes a positive contribution to all of us.