Today, Maya flew back home after a week-long stay here with Herm and I. My friend, Marjo, has had her grandchildren come to stay with her for a week at a time, and that idea took root in my mind to try something similar. Following our family reunion in Sun River earlier this month, we were able to work it out with Eric & Sachiko to have Maya remain behind after they returned home and have some individual Grandma & Grandpa time. Most of my blog features pictures that show what we did for fun activities. But what about the in-between times?
Most would describe Maya as quiet, even a little shy. She enjoys her alone time and loves to read. Just recently, she voiced her desire to have her own room. But in a 3-bedroom house that includes a brother, it wasn't going to be able to happen that way. Thankfully, Sachiko is very innovative and put a curtain around the lower bunk to give her a little privacy. But being at G & G's with no siblings or cousins around, we found that Maya can be very talkative, and we made lots of time available to listen.
Maya moves at a slower pace than a lot of the world around her. But the two dogs and cat that live here in our house really liked that. She showered them with lots of her love and attention. They didn't have to worry about loud noises and quick movements that many children demonstrate. Our dog, Molly, could hardly wait til Maya got the quilt spread out on her lap so that the dog could jump up and have her head and belly scratched.
I found that Maya is willing to give up on her own plans to help out when asked. And because of that, we had fun baking a blueberry cake together. And she eventually got to play the computer game that she was hoping to do.
We all had smiles on our faces every time we heard Maya's cute giggle. It seems to me that Maya would rather be smiling than frowning, and the photos in my other blogs will show how beautiful that smile is. When you see Maya's smile, it's contagious, and I find myself wanting to do everything I can to make it happen over and over.
Sometimes people who are quiet don't let you know what they are thinking deep down inside. But when Maya said to me today, "Grandma, am I ever going to see you again?" I was almost shocked. My immediate response was, "of course you will." But then I wondered why she was thinking about such a heavy subject as that, so I asked "why did you ask me that?" And she openly shared with me, "but maybe you'll move away." So I had a wonderful opportunity to share with her how much I love her, and if I ever moved, I would hope it would be closer to her rather than any farther away. Those aren't the kind of subjects that get talked about when there's lots of noise and confusion around, so having that quiet moment with her meant everything in the world to me.
I so much appreciated Maya's desire to do the right thing. For the most part, she wants to follow the rules, so when we told her it was time to shower, come to dinner, or most anything else, she did as we asked. No, "just one more minute" or " can't I do...?". Her heart shows that she desires to do the right thing. And I'm confident that that attitude will serve her well throughout her life.
Another thing I hope will follow her around forever is that she doesn't like to spend money. WOW! when we were at Walmart, the Dollar Store, etc. shopping I would ask her about some item, and she would say she hadn't brought her money along. When I volunteered to pay for it and she could pay me back, she would say "I want to save it."
Maya is very grateful to others when they do something for her or give her something. While standing in line to get her ticket today to fly home, she told me "thank you, grandma, for being so nice to me." I had to wrap my arms around her and tell her "thank you" back, because that's not something any of us can hear enough. When I bought her a watch at the dollar store (that's right, everything is only $1), she was thankful for it. It didn't matter how big or how small, she was right there to show her appreciation.
So while children learn a lot from adults, I believe that they can be teachers, too. I know I would have missed out on a lot if I hadn't had this wonderful week with my oldest granddaughter. I know I'll be a better listener, because I don't want to miss out on the heart of the one speaking. I desire to move at a slower pace so that I can enjoy some of the pleasures that come with it. And I'm sure I will find much more to smile about.
So thank you, Maya, for teaching me this week. And thank you, too, Eric & Sachiko for the sacrifice you made this week to allow your daughter to spend an awesome week with us.
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2 comments:
When I picked up Maya from San Diego airport, she looked more..MATURE! It was her first airplane ride alone. Later she told me that she was a little scared, but people were nice and helpful. I think she experienced many things from this visit, and she loved every moment of it!! Because she told me that she missed us but she wanted to stay in Oregon longer.
Thank you so much mom and dad for keeping her a week and taking such a good care of her. I can tell that she had a great time there. Thank you!!!!!
As Megan's aunt, I used to have her, her sister and her brothers for the weekend as soon as they wanted to be away from home that long. I truly understand the joy of listening to what was on their minds, playing with them, letting them stir the bowl when we made brownies,and just spending time with them one-on-one. I understand your joy and loved every moment of it. Often when I took them home Sunday evenings, I cried and when I looked at the pictures posted on the frige I missed them all the more. Thank goodness for the phone calls during the week and the willingness of their parents to entrust them into my care.
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