It is a testament to the courage and strength of families - and the strength of people living with mental health conditions. Ultimately, my story is one of hope and compassion. One day, I hope my grandchildren will read my journals and published stories about my fight for recovery - that they will know how their parents and grandparents kept the faith even when healing seemed impossible. Eventually, they grew up to be healthy adults, positive contributors to society and parents to my 20 grandchildren. I cherished their devotion and belief in my recovery. This, coupled with compassionate treatment, made progress possible.Īs I continued to fight my battle, my children gained strength from their father and had faith that I would get well. Writing became a friend, a source of survival. I wrote about mental illness, my faith, my children. BENEFITS FOR GRANDCHILDREN Experts say the physical, spiritual and emotional benefits of a healthy grandparent-child relationship are significant for all parties. The more intense my mental pain, the more I plunged myself into creative writing. He says grandchildren and their grandparents usually have an adoration and unconditional love and joy in one another’s existence. I distracted myself with sewing, quilting, wood carving and writing. I also found outlets to help myself cope. I was never too sick to give a hug, wipe a tear, or say, "I love you." I read them stories and listened to their problems. Our marriage proved to endure the torrents of adversity.īut I often wondered: How long could two people go on living like this? How many storms could a marriage survive? How would this affect our children? Would they recover from a traumatic childhood? So, even in the depths of my worst struggles, I did my best to show up for my children. He was my best friend when I needed him most. He gave our children double doses of love and attention when I struggled. He stayed by my side, loved me and supported me. "It's alright Jelean, you'll be ok," he said. Once, during an episode, he tried to grab my flinging arms. I only wanted one thing: For everything to end.Īs I battled mental illness, which worsened after the birth of my fifth child, I withdrew from my husband, Rich, and I refused to be comforted. My children would overhear my screams and watch me agonize. My brain, it seemed, was fighting a fierce battle. In lovely prose and through delightful stories, Isay shows us how we can.Ī great gift for grandparents-to-be and a wonderful resource for all, Unconditional Love is a beautiful and psychologically astute look at what it means to be an engaged grandparent.Early on in my marriage, as I experienced the joys of partnership, and the delight of four young children, I noticed something felt "off." Suddenly, my reality became a nightmare. Most importantly, she writes, the advent of grandchildren offers families the opportunity for healing and redemption-if we seize the moment. ![]() Most importantly, she writes, the advent of grandchildren offers families the opportunity for healing and redemption - if we seize the moment. Isay argues that secrets and surprises may tilt the boat but won’t necessarily sink it and that grandparents and their grown children are happier when they give each other the benefit of the doubt. In my life, you are the sun that never fades and the moon that never wanes. ![]() And she loved a little boy very much, even more than she loved herself. A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. Unconditional Love advocates for honest conversation, thinking in the long run and healing breaches in order to be together, understanding that most of us try to do our best and need to be forgiven if we fail. Quotes About Loving Your Children Unconditionally. She also offers a wealth of practical advice, from when to get involved, when to stay away, and how to foster a strong relationship when you’re separated by long distance. She explores the realities of today’s multigenerational families, identifying problems and offering solutions to enhance love, trust, and understanding between grandparents, parents, and grandchildren. Being a grandparent, family relationships expert Jane Isay argues, is the opportunity to turn missed opportunities into delight.ĭrawing on her personal experience, dozens of interviews, and the latest findings in psychology, Isay shows how a grandparent can use his or her unique perspective and experience to create a deep and lasting bond that will echo throughout a grandchild’s life. A beautiful meditation on the joys of being a grandparent and a practical guide to help you and your adult children make the most of your relationship with a grandchild.įor many grandparents, a grandchild offers a second chance to become the parent they didn’t have the time or the energy to be when raising their own children.
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