BY SUSAN ADCOX
My two granddaughters who graduated from high school this spring found a special way to celebrate. They colored their hair. One pink, one blue. Now I have definite creds as a cool grandmother. I know about Twitter, Tinder and Tumblr. I like sushi, hip-hop and indie films. I even like teenagers. But these latest developments almost made me lose my cool. You see, I was sad about my granddaughters’ hair. I missed the silky blonde locks of one and the lustrous brown waves of the other. But guess what. I learned to accept their new looks. And the whole experience has inspired me to share some things my teen grandchildren have taught me. Things my very cool granddaughters taught me
- First, they have taught me to keep my eyes on what is important. My granddaughters are good-hearted, hard-working students who have never been in any trouble. They are both off to college in the fall. That’s what I should be focusing on rather than on that HAIR!
- Second, they have taught me that life is for living. When they trot all over the globe or decide to try the highest level of a ropes course or choose a hair color not known in nature, I repeat this quotation from Helen Keller: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Believe me, they have daring adventures.
- Third, they have taught me not to give up on the world. They get upset about injustice. They worry about what we’re doing to the environment. They hate to see people or animals abused. But they don’t give up on the world. They think that maybe, just maybe, things can be changed for the better.
Maybe it’s time to rock my world Meanwhile, everything is back to its chaotic normal. My granddaughters are off on various quests. I am ensconced once again as the cool grandmother. And when I look in the mirror and wonder for the one hundredth time whether I should stop coloring my hair and go gray, I have another thought. A marvelous, fling-caution-to-the-winds thought. I could color my own hair a crazy color. My granddaughters have voted for purple.
Susan is the Grandparenting Expert on About.com. Visit her http://grandparents.about.com.
