The greatest gift of all

Good morning, everybody, and welcome back to another Cecil’s World in Print. I sure hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday. I had a wonderful Christmas and had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with family. My granddaughter Vera Grace had a super Christmas, getting everything she asked Santa for and then some. Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I have learned the older I get, the more I like to give and the less I like to receive.

Today I am sure a lot of you are heading to the stores to return the gifts that did not fit or you do not know what they are and those ties that nobody would really wear. Yes, I can relate to some of those things. You always get at least one thing that you have to exchange, that’s why I am very good with my shopping. I give money, gift cards or things someone told me they wanted. I know this was a tough Christmas for some people who are out of work and had very little money to buy gifts. But don’t worry, friends recognize that and understand, so don’t feel bad because you could not buy everyone a gift this year. A lot of people cut back on Christmas this year, including my family.

My greatest Christmas gift of all this Christmas was from my son, Jeff, and his wife, Lynn. We were told that we were going to be grandparents again. Yes, they are expecting child No. 2. Oh, boy, I can’t wait. I think the role of grandparents is to spoil their grandchildren and leave it up to the parents to discipline and teach them right from wrong. That’s right, let the parents be the so-called “bad guys” and we will be the old people who love and care for the grandkids and buy them junk food, toys and send them home hyper. I am also ready for those Saturday morning trips to McDonald’s for those Happy Meals kids love with a free toy. Vera Grace is only 17 months old — not quite old enough to start playing all the old music like I did with Jeff. But don’t worry, when both of the grandkids get to be teenagers, they will have the greatest collections of hits from the ’50s and ’60s.

Statistics indicate more and more grandparents are moving in with their kids to help take care of the grandbabies. This arrangement helps both parents continue to work while the grandparents stay home with their grandkids. This has proven to be good for both the grandparents, kids and the working parents. The parents are at ease because they know their children are in good hands with their parents and it gives the grandparents more quality time with their grandkids. Don’t worry, Son, I am not moving in yet. The older I get, the more I believe that being around younger kids makes me feel a lot younger. So when my second grandchild is born, I am going to feel a lot younger.

It has been a long time since I watched cartoons with a kid and played games, but I am looking forward to it. Thanks so much for listening to me rattle off about my granddaughter and my other grandchild being born in June 2009. I get carried away sometimes, but just wait until I start taking pictures.

That’s it for another Cecil’s World in Print. I will see you next year (2009), right here in the Morning News and on the tube.

— Cecil Chandler is a veteran reporter at WBTW News13. His column appears Mondays in the Morning News.