December 2004 Ensign - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

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Grandparents can nurture tender
relationships with their grandchildren
as they share everyday moments
with them.
and my in-laws separate visiting and
home teachers, and they treated us
as separate households. They did not
assume that, having met me or my
husband, they now knew the entire
family. The bishop also extended
callings that my in-laws could fulfill
despite their health limitations.
Emily Milner, Lindon 14th Ward, Lindon
Utah West Stake
When things get tense, ask yourself
these questions: How important
is this issue in the grand scheme
of things? Is it going to affect
my eternal progression?
When you get frustrated,
think of the special
moments you spend listening
to your grandchildren
tell of their day at school, or of the
picnics you have with a toddler on
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QUESTIONS ANSWERS
your bed, or of those rare occasions
when you get to have heart-to-heart
talks with your daughter. Those
moments can make it all worthwhile
and are opportunities you may not
have shared had you not been living
in the same home.
Rashona Carraway, Pelican Creek Ward,
North Las Vegas Nevada Stake
An elderly parent can do many
things to make the transition into a
new living situation
easier. For example,
you might make the
following decisions
ahead of time:
1. Decide if you’ll be
eating with the family or
cooking on your own. Will
you be buying your own groceries
or will the family be providing
them?
2. Who will be the responsible
driver? If you have a car but don’t
want to drive, are you willing to
share it—perhaps in return for
some chauffeuring? Remember that
a driver may not be available at all
times. Be mindful of schedules and
get rides where appropriate.
3. Consider paying a predetermined
monthly amount to help cover
the family’s increased utility bills,
telephone charges, groceries, gas,
and so on.
Eugenia S. Hancock, Plymouth Ward,
Westland Michigan Stake
Don’t worry about the burden you
think you will cause; realize
instead what you can contribute
to the family. We learned much
about Grandpa’s youth and
early life as we visited with
him and encouraged him to
tape-record stories of his life
that I later transcribed for
the family. He shared his
testimony with us and even
with the nurses and health
aides who came to care for
him. He would occasionally
give us advice and counsel
from his experience and
Elderly parents may want to
keep in touch with the friends
they left behind by planning
visits, writing letters or e-mails,
or making telephone calls.