Becoming . . .

Emily

Harper

The question was posed the other day: What are your grandchildren going to call you?  Such questions bring the magnitude of the situation to light . . . the wife and I are now grandparents!  With grandparenthood there seems to come changes, and apparently one of the biggest is a name change.  I wasn’t really expecting a name change as I was just beginning to get used to being called “Sir” and “Mister” by just about everyone younger than me—which seems to be more and more people each day!

To be honest, until this morning I hadn’t even thought about this.  Having some spare time though got me to thinking—what will my two granddaughters (pictured above) call the wife and I—in particular me.  I called my grandparents—on both sides—Grandma and Grandpa.  It seemed to work as they always seemed to respond to those monikers.  But this is a different age and time with so many more choices available to those who are newly christened as grandparents.  I know because I went on the Internet in search of all the possibilities . . . there are many.

The site I ended up at was deemed the “ultimate guide to all things grandparent” called Grandparents.com (http://www.grandparents.com/gp/content/activitiesandevents/everyday-activities/article/grandparent-names.html).  You name it and you can find it at this site—including names for grandparents!  In fact, there are four categories from which one can chose a name: traditional; trendy; playful; and international.  So many choices!  What is a new grandparent to choose?

Well, it turns out that the names I used for my grandparents fall under the traditional category.  The names the wife used with her grandparent Pappaw and Mammaw also fell in the traditional category . . . I just attributed it to her southern upbringing.  In all there seem to be about 75 choices in the traditional category . . . more choices than one should have to consider in picking a new name.

Over in the trendy section of names there are another 70 or so names to choose from.  Here are a few of the more interesting ones listed there: BigBop, Chief, Coach, G-Daddy, Geezer, Grand-D, PeePa, PoPo, Puggies, Skipper, Ump, and Mellowman.  I have a problem with being trendy as most people—especially my family—will tell you, I am not trendy.  Far from it!  Not being trendy kind of puts these names in the “do not consider” file.  With the names G-Daddy and Grand-D my mind flashes to rapping and hip-hop—can’t stand either one of those genders of music, besides I know how to properly wear a baseball cap and don’t have enough bling to pull those names off.  Mellowman is out as I am not very mellow . . . until a couple of microbrews, and I know that isn’t going to happen.  PeePa and PoPo sould like something I would say when a diaper needs to be changed.  Ump, Skipper, Chief, and Coach—too sporty!  Puggies . . . that’s the neighbor’s dogs.  About the only two on the list that I might consider is BigBop and Geezer . . . everyone knows that the older I get the more like a geezer I get.

In the playful category—about 50 choices—the names become even more ridiculous.  I cannot picture myself being called Hee-Haw or Checkers or Doody or DoDad or even UmmPaPa (sounds like a character out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory).  Even though I did not find any names I liked in the playful category, I’m sure there are a few the family would consider-- Grumpy or Grumpa would be among them.

At least a 100 choices were listed under the international category.  Those all are probably out as none of us—me, especially—cannot pronounce 99.9 percent of the names listed.

Choices, choices, choices!  What is a new grandpa to do?  Probably what I had always thought I would do . . . I’m going to let the little tykes come up with their own name for me.  As long as they are not insulting me, calling me nasty names, and actually use the name, I don’t care what they call me.  In the end I am sure that one of the many choices might end up being what I am called.  That is okay as long as it is respectful and loving.  What they call me is not important, calling me is.  In the meantime Grandpa suffices until that day I become . . . I become whatever it is that I become to these gifts from God.  I can handle that!