Growing up (until 1986 or 1987), I had one grandpa and one grandma. Grandpa passed away in the 80s, while I was still learning how to remember people. Unfortunately, I don’t remember much of him. My grandma is a different story- I have so many incredible memories of her that will last a lifetime. I only wish I could let Paul and Piper into my head so they can see those memories in the vivid colors I remember them in.

Today, Piper has three grandparents: our moms and my dad. She has a great many Aunts and Uncles as well as cousins, but only three real grandparents. Lately I have been wondering how I can “introduce” Piper to Paul’s dad, who passed away in 1998. We have few pictures, no home videos, and not really anything to show her about him.

Paul will have his stories, as will his Aunt and Mother, and we may be able to squeeze some stories from his siblings, but that’s pretty much it. It’s incredibly important to me that Piper knows her grandparents- ALL of them. So how do  you go about telling them (when she can understand) about who they’ll never meet in this lifetime?

I try to tell her about him with subtle mentions, like, “Grandpa Pete loved trees” and random things like that, but as someone who didn’t meet him either, I have so little to share.

For those of you who have lost family members: how do you intend to tell your children about them, to make sure they know they are just as important as their living family members?

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