In The Words of Grandparents
“Nothing happened. For my wife and me it was sudden….like overnight. No notice. No explanation. No reasons. Still no reasons, for us or the OG’s (other grandparents). For us, just sudden abandonment and alienation with little to no empathy. For the OG’s, a little more gradual and less severe but devastating nevertheless. No arguments. No disagreements. We were all wonderful grandparents, always very respectful of them and their busy schedules, and we’re still standing accused of… nothing. No one has a clear idea what is going on.“
“We learned of our grandson’s birth, from my sister-in-law, three days after he was born. Our grandson is three years old, and we have never seen him.”
“It feels sad and painful from the moment you wake up until you drop off to sleep…if your broken heart will let you. It is not possible to understand this unless you are unlucky enough to be in the position so many of us are in.”
“We will never give up. One the most incredible things that my dear wife said after being alienated for a couple of years is, ‘If we cannot be with our dear daughters, their husbands, and our grandchildren while we are on this earth, then we’ll see them in heaven. We are committed to not ever giving up in our quest to reconcile. We pray we can help others as well.”
“His wife is very domineering and she told him it was her or us!! He said this in an email to my daughter. He had to make a choice!”
“You and I have a history. I held you only minutes after you were born and kissed your sweet little rosebud lips. You felt right in my arms – so small and vulnerable, yet communicating to me, even then, a strength of character and determination. OH, darling girl, I loved you from the moment I saw you; I love you still, even though I am prevented from holding you…I will continue to write letters to you with the hope that someday, somehow, we will meet again. Until then, please leave a secret spot in your heart for us, and understand how much we love you and always will. If we could move heaven and earth to see you again, we would begin right now. With hugs to last a lifetime, Gram”
“I will not stop trying to have a relationship with my grandchildren until the last breath is exhaled from my lungs! I write this with a lump that feels like a basketball in my throat and what feels like the weight of an elephant on my heart, but I only want a chance to he heard.”
“Every day that goes by I’m missing more of my grandbaby’s life. I’m afraid I’ll never see my child or grandchild again, and that there isn’t enough time to change this.”
“There was a time when the family unit included grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins either close by or living in the home. It is tragic that we have drifted so far from this. I subscribe to the adage that it takes a village to raise a child. Most of my fondest childhood memories are of activities with my grandmother and her sister, my great aunt. I learned and was exposed to situations/experiences through them that I probably would not have had, were it not for their influence. “
“It is ‘killing’ us, and they seem to care less. It’s very simple. I love my son and my grandchildren. I will love and honor his wife. They need to put this behind them, and allow me to become the most dedicated grandfather there ever was. A little positive communication from them would go a long way. A little understanding and empathy from anyone else would help immensely. The silence is deafening.”
“Hoping to see my grandchildren before I die.”