Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Generation G: Advice for Savvy Grandmothers Who Will Never Go Gray
    Generation G: Advice for Savvy Grandmothers Who Will Never Go Gray
    Generation G: Advice for Savvy Grandmothers Who Will Never Go Gray
    Ebook200 pages2 hours

    Generation G: Advice for Savvy Grandmothers Who Will Never Go Gray

    By Marty Norman

    4/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Advice from the heart of a rather hip and savvy Baby Boomer grandmother offers insight for grandmothering in the twenty-first century.  

    The rules for grandmothers have changed. The new silver generation is savvy and sophisticated-managing businesses, working out with a personal trainer, and traveling to exotic locations. But what about their care and nurturing of the next generation? How can they stay connected and leave a legacy, cheerleading and hand-holding those who come behind?

    This handbook provides encouragement for grandmothers with the real issues they face today. Seven sections of essays challenge grandmothers to become healers, peacemakers, repairers of the breach in families, and to celebrate life transitions and aging. Topics, both humorous and serious, range from the importance of choosing a name, waiting at the hospital, and getting wrinkles to blended families, step-grandparenting, in-laws, boundaries, and dying. Generation G will inspire grandmothers to realize their calling is great and their gift, of themselves, essential.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateMar 11, 2008
    ISBN9781418572105
    Generation G: Advice for Savvy Grandmothers Who Will Never Go Gray

    Related to Generation G

    Related ebooks

    Christianity For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      All This Blood and Love

      Nov 22, 2017

      All This Blood and Love
      6 min read

    • Article

      Ngā Pukapuka

      Feb 3, 2022

      by Madeleine Dore (Murdoch Books, $36.99) As someone who’s constantly plagued by guilt that I’m not doing “enough” in my working days, this book’s title spoke to me directly. Feeling as if we’re wasting time or not achieving is clearly not just somet

      3 min read

    • Article

      Your Page

      Aug 17, 2022

      Little did I know that a Country Style front cover from September 2013 would lay the foundation for one of the last and most cherished memories I would have of my mother. After a nine-year stint in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, we moved back to country

      5 min read

    • Article

      Community Stu

      Sep 23, 2019

      Community Stu
      6 min read

    • Article

      Journey To Solace

      Aug 12, 2019

      Journey To Solace
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Bath

      Jan 5, 2021

      The Bath
      3 min read

    • Article

      Nurturing Growth

      Jul 7, 2020

      I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee, which was both challenging and rewarding. Mountain people live off of the land, and while that offers harvest, hope, and bounty, it also brings hardship and struggles. Due to rugged terrain an

      4 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Jan 23, 2023

      Books
      6 min read

    • Article

      Your Page

      Jun 22, 2022

      In this world of uncertainty and unrest with wars, floods, a pandemic and other personal things that impact on families and futures, I can always find peace and solace in each edition of Country Style. As I turn each page in anticipation of where it

      4 min read

    • Article

      Ritual and Renewal

      Sep 24, 2019

      Ritual and Renewal
      4 min read

    • Article

      Life After Death

      Oct 28, 2022

      Life After Death
      5 min read

    • Article

      Three Poems

      Jul 1, 2020

      The purpose of being alive is to carry a sequence of code.And so, being adopted, I’m part of a plot, a sleeper cellin enemy territory, quietly working against the systemfrom within. It’s fall, I’m on an ancestry website signing up for a DNA kit,becau

      4 min read

    • Article

      Kids Will Ruin Your Life

      Oct 2, 2017

      Kids Will Ruin Your Life
      4 min read

    • Article

      Kids Will Ruin Your Life

      Sep 22, 2017

      Kids Will Ruin Your Life
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Triggers of Mothers’ Day …

      Apr 13, 2020

      Mothers’ Day has been celebrated all over the world for centuries. It has been recorded that the sales of Mothers’ Day cards each year outnumber those of Fathers’ Day cards by tens of thousands. Intrinsically nurturing comes from our mothers. A mom p

      2 min read

    • Article

      Your Page

      Jul 19, 2023

      I look forward to receiving my copy of Country Style each month. Seeing the glossy cover of each new publication prompts me, without fail, to grab a cuppa, sit back and put my feet up. Firstly, I leaf through the magazine with anticipation, eager to

      5 min read

    • Article

      Book Giveaways One Copy Of Each Title To Be Won!

      Apr 29, 2022

      To enter email the book title as subject to: subs@rvmagazine.co.nz or post to: NZTRV Vol 16 Books, PO Box 220, Martinborough 5711 with your full details, and go in the draw to win. Closes 30 June 2022 to enter online Vasanti Unka RRP $25 Penguin From

      5 min read

    • Article

      A Waking Dream

      Sep 19, 2019

      A Waking Dream
      7 min read

    • Article

      My Country Childhood

      Oct 2, 2019

      FOR AWARD-WINNING author Heather Rose, reminiscing about her early days growing up along the southern shores of Tasmania brings back special memories of idyllic, safe and carefree times and the genesis of an enduring love of literature and the sea. “

      5 min read

    • Article

      TWO ESSAYS from FINGER EXERCISES FOR POETS

      Nov 1, 2022

      Russian Formalists have a word, “ostranenie,” which means constantly attempting to discover new ways of looking at everyday things. There are almost always two realities rubbing up against one another in every poem, whether they are specified or not,

      10 min read

    • Article

      Allegiance

      Nov 6, 2023

      Allegiance
      12 min read

    • Article

      Tiny Feet, Big Imaginations

      Jun 19, 2020

      Tiny Feet, Big Imaginations
      2 min read

    • Article

      Steven Pinker

      Oct 24, 2022

      Steven Pinker
      5 min read

    • Article

      Amanda’s Naked Truth

      Oct 26, 2020

      Amanda’s Naked Truth
      6 min read

    • Article

      Family Matters

      Oct 20, 2023

      Family Matters
      5 min read

    • Article

      Letter Of The Month

      Dec 20, 2021

      The ‘30th Anniversary Issue’ (October 2021) brought back tramping memories. I recalled an exhausting tramp to Kapakapanui on which we almost succumbed to heatstroke; I remembered my late dad’s fondness for Cone Hut and my first multi-day tramp. My th

      3 min read

    • Article

      Read Watch Listen

      Mar 31, 2022

      Inspiration to adventure comes in many forms and from many sources. But the inspiration to identify as adventurous, and the permission to build that identity in your own way and on your own terms comes along an awful lot less. Enter, Journey to Etern

      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Generation G

    4/5

    2 ratings1 review

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      This wonderful book, Generation G: Advice For Savvy Grandmothers Who Will Never Go Gray by Marty Norman, is about the wonderful opportunity of being a GRANDmother.Generation G covers many topics facing grandmothers today, such as: dealing with aging, choosing the name our grandchildren will call us, creating new family traditions to meet the changing times, learning how to be a support system for our children and grandchildren, the importance of listening, passing on a legacy, and much, much more.At times the book will make you laugh, at other times you will be moved to tears, and at still other times, you will be scrambling for your pen and note-pad to jot down notes.Marty shows us that grandmothers of this generation have much to offer, and she puts a positive slant on everything. Instead of old, she suggests that we use the word mature; instead of gray, silver; and my personal favorite--instead of saggy, soft.This book is a delightful and uplifting read that will challenge you to throw off the shabby shawl of stereotypes, and become the grandmother that makes a difference in the lives of her grandchildren!This would be a great gift for any grandmother or a great read for current grandmothers (or those like me who look forward to that chapter in their life).

    Book preview

    Generation G - Marty Norman

    PART 1

    GRAND TRANSITIONS

    9780785228127_ePDF_0023_003

    ONE

    RICH, SAVVY, AND SILVER

    For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.

    —Psalm 66:10

    Let’s face it: the twentieth-century grandmother is no more. Gone are the days of shirtwaist dresses, aprons, and rocking chairs. Good-bye to standing hair appointments and the sprayed chignon. Hello to flat irons, mousse, and hair gel. Like it or not, large grocery store chains have replaced homemade pie crust and homegrown tomatoes.

    It is a new day. Twenty-first-century grandmothers are a new kind of breed. I know—I am one.

    Look around you, and you’ll see that baby boomers are changing the face of grandparenting. Many of us have dis-cretionary income and are savvy to the ways of the world. But how does rich, savvy, and silver describe today’s grand-mother?

    The idea came to me one Saturday morning as I was making my weekly run through Target. As I passed by a bright red T-shirt with the words Rich, Sassy, and Single emblazoned on the front in iridescent colors, I thought, Now, that concept is certainly lost on my generation. Then it hit me: if I created a T-shirt for my generation, I would print the words Rich, Savvy, and Silver in much larger letters. That’s us. That’s my generation. As I went to my car, I continued to ponder from what depth such a profound thought had come.

    The meaning soon became clear. These three adjectives are a succinct description of twenty-first-century grand-mothers—women who are so abundantly blessed that we have the motivation and ability to give back a hundredfold. Let’s briefly consider each of these concepts.

    How are we rich? We have a wealth of wisdom and life experience. In recent years, my family has nearly tripled in size, yet I still have the time and ability to travel, shop, create, and do many other activities. I often find myself overcome by the abundance of my life. In my lifetime I have seen every-thing from birth to death, illness to healing, light to dark, happy to sad. My history has made me who I am. I have lost loved ones to accidents or death, sat by the bedside of a dying parent, and helped families deal with alcohol or drug addiction. I have grieved with friends whose homes were devastated by natural disasters. I have felt pain as churches implode and families divide.

    I have also been blessed to experience miracles. I have rejoiced as prodigal sons and daughters have returned home. I have seen marriages restored and families reunited. I have witnessed deathbed conversions and experienced healing, forgiveness, sacrificial giving, and generosity beyond understanding.

    Yes, my generation has a lot of experience and wisdom to share.

    To state the obvious, I am also rich in years. Years of love, laughter, joy, wonder, sadness, trials, and temptations—many years, many lessons. I’ve seen a lot, from the invention of the television to the landing on the moon, from the computer to the cell phone. I’ve watched the Berlin Wall come down, the Cuban embargo go up, and the wars in Vietnam, the Gulf, and Iraq. I’ve watched Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, I Love Lucy, and Mission Impossible.

    A lot of years, a lot of life. Our generation is rich indeed. Defining how we are savvy was harder. My thesaurus gives the following as synonyms for savvy: shrewd, understanding, discerning. These adjectives describe my generation. We have a shrewd understanding of life. I doubt any of us wants to go back in years, but everything we are today comes from those years of trial and error. Our past affects our future.

    We are also multifaceted. We have sung in choirs, been on boards, founded neighborhood associations, rafted rivers, climbed mountains, gone on mission trips, worked with the homeless, taught Sunday school, watched solar eclipses, picnicked in the park, danced on crutches, written poetry, sung songs, cried with friends, laughed with lovers, and lived life to the best of our ability. We have discerned danger and observed corruption. We have learned whom to trust and whom not to trust. We have a pretty good handle on life. Yes, we are a savvy generation, not easily fooled.

    Last but not least, we are silver. Ten years ago, I decided to go natural. My hair is as silver as the mane on the Lone Ranger’s horse. Sometimes people describe my hair as gray, but I prefer the term silver, for I will never grow gray. Gray is a mind-set, a metaphor for growing old, but silver is vibrant and alive, a celebration of life. Silver also connotes hope, an attitude that shines with life, rejoicing in where we have been, where we are now, and where we are going.

    But silver is not just a hair color. Silver is a valuable metal that shines, refined to showcase its purity. As the silversmith perfects the metal, he holds it over the hottest part of the fire to burn away the impurities. By the same token, in order for God to refine us, he holds us close to the fire to burn away the dross. Most of us have been through God’s refining fire time and again, but as our children are quick to say, our process is not yet complete. Surely we are further along the path than we were yesterday.

    So the title of this chapter is perfect, for it describes my generation—Generation G grandmothers who are in process of becoming who we were created to be.

    Rich, savvy, and silver. That’s me—and I’m proud of it!

    TWO

    ALL ABOARD

    Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

    —Luke 12:22–23

    Transitioning into grandparenting is a journey, much like riding the train to camp. It takes a long time to get there, but once you arrive, it’s the best.

    When I was a little girl, my mother used to tell me, It’s not the destination but the journey that counts. At the age of twelve, I took my first train trip away from home to Camp Nakanawa in Mayland, Tennessee. On that ride, I learned what she meant.

    Accompanied by twenty eager campers, I boarded the train at the crack of dawn for the two-day ride to Tennessee. As the journey began, I was timid and a little afraid, for I was not sure what to expect. At each stop, as new people boarded the train, my anticipation grew. Girls ran up and down the aisle meeting and greeting one another, and I discovered a larger world that I had never known before. This trip was the beginning of a great adventure.

    The journey into grandparenting is a bit like that train ride—filled with uncertainty, excitement, and adventure. The journey has taken us up hills and down valleys, yet we are still chugging along like the Little Engine That Could.

    Somewhere along the way, as that twelve-year-old girl be-came a grandmother of four, I somehow misplaced my enthusiasm and sense of wonder. I’m not sure when it happened, but I know that I am not alone. If we’re honest, most women would admit the same has happened to them. We spend the majority of our time racing toward the destination—the wedding, the kids, the new house, college tuition, retirement. Focusing on our goals, we fail to take in the view or learn from the people in our paths. We have forgotten the lessons of childhood. We are far too busy looking toward the destination to enjoy the

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1