Generational gladness

Generations: the process of coming into being and bringing another into being, the span of time between the birth of parents and their offspring, a line of descendents.
I have been fortunate enough to have both sets of grandparents alive when I was 30 years old. I lost my grandpa (my dad's father) about five years ago, and then we lost my grandma (my dad's mother) last summer. I was able to spend a lot of time with my Dad's parents since they always lived in Indiana. I miss them greatly and have so many fond memories of them. My mom's parents are still alive and living in Texas. They have always lived in Texas while I grew up so I was not able to have as much time with them. My granny (mom's mother) and I have something very special in common. I was born on my granny's 40th birthday. My mom was very young when she had me which meant that my granny became a GRANDMOTHER much sooner than she maybe would have wanted. She told me a story about the day of my birth and said that the doctor came to see her after I was born and said, "Are you having a good birthday?" She said, "Not really, I became 40 and a grandmother all in the same day!" :)
Since I have not been able to spend much time with my Texas relatives, I decided to spend my birthday with my Granny this summer. It was a big event as my mom, my step-dad, my oldest niece and I crammed into a car to drive to Abilene, Texas. It was a 13 hour car ride and we made the most of it with the portable DVD player, books, funny car games and switching drivers to make it easier.
We spent time with my brother and his wife at a Rangers baseball game topped with 4th of July fireworks and we enjoyed some Texas BBQing with my cousin and her family.
The actual day of my birthday my Granny made me some homemade biscuits (my only request from her for my birthday), I beat my Grandad at a game of dominoes and we had a grand time telling old family stories.
It was so interesting watching my family and the different generations. One night we were all gathered around the living room telling tales. Lexy (my oldest niece who is 15 going on 21) is sitting beside me on the couch with her phone blowing up every 2 seconds from a new text. Her fingers are flying at the speed of light as she texts back and then lifts her head up to try to engage in the conversation. I roll my eyes and listen to the stories of my Grandad being obnoxious and I check my much less expensive phone to see if anyone has sent me a text, NOPE. I look over at my mom who is laughing and crying at the same time from the stories she is hearing about her Daddy. She makes a comment about how stubborn he was and how she is glad she never inherited that bullish attitude. We all laugh together because we know HER and we know BETTER! My granny is sitting next to my grandad just listening to him talk - she has probably heard this story 100 times yet she listens with the intensity like it is the first time. Grandad, who loves to be the center of attention, will look over at Granny every once in a while just to see if she is paying attention. He loves to talk, but he really is concerned with whether or not SHE is his audience.
There is a difference in the generations. The current generation is bombarded with the newest and the greatest technology. Anything to keep you pushing buttons and looking at a screen is the NEW form of communication. My generation is still addicted to technology, but there is that value in relationships and meeting others for coffee, face to face interaction. My mom's generation TRIES to use the technology, but most of their time and energy is spent on reading manuals and asking the kids how to use things. Her generation thrives on relationships and story telling. She remembers playing in the yard for hours and NOT getting bored. She remembers the value of a dollar and what strong morals can do to a family. My granny's generation is the one that I think we can learn the most from. Her generation knows technology exists, but doesn't have time, energy or patience to invest in a machine. Granny tells stories of hard work and true love at the age of 16. She shows me pictures of her and my grandad where the love they share is so evident it practically jumps off the page. I laugh as I see almost every picture has PDA (public displays of affection)! He is constantly holding her hand, or has his hand around her waist or draped over her shoulder. He was crazy about her back then and it is still evident as they are about to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. Granny sits patiently next to her husband of 60 years. She smiles when he talks, she talks when she needs to and she lives her life devoted to God and to taking care of her husband and her family. I look around the room at the offpring of her and Grandad's hard work and love. I am PROUD to be part of THIS generation, but I am more proud to be a part of the Dozier/Skidmore family!