As I reflect on the significant day that is International Women's Day, I am thinking about grandmothers as without them our grandchildren would not even exist. Our genetic makeup lives and breathes within them, just as it does our children.
The bond between grandchildren and grandma is a special one, she is a remarkable woman. She's a wonderful combination of warmth, kindness, love, laughter and shares a wisdom rooted in decades of time.
It is a relationship built on unconditional love, one minute I was a mother and then that wonderful moment arrived and I was a grandmother!
Many children grow up with their grandparents for many reasons and in law, we can even become Kinship carers, when things get tough for parents the Authorities look upon us. The reality is that in every day life, this is not the case, as there is no law to protect this precious bond.
Today, I want to give special praise to all the grandmothers out there, especially those that do not get to hug their grandchildren and continue to hold them close in their memories and hearts. I feel your pain but equally, I feel your dignity, strength, resilience and courage in the face of this adversity.
Happy International Women's Day to all the Grandmothers out there today.
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