Those were the words his mother, our daughter, spoke concerning the little man’s play date with his two cousins. Considering he is only 17 months old – the bar was set.

The 3 cousins got together for a couple hours and it was heaven. To see them running, jumping, crawling, laughing and playing was pure joy. When two would squeal, then the third had to join in – no matter if there was a reason. 30 seconds was probably the maximum attention span for an item, but there was so much to do, so many toys and books and endless attention from parents and grandparents. Who knew 3 little rug rats could create so much energy at one time. This was worth waiting 64 years to experience.

Knowing I won’t be around in another 64 years reveals a generational dichotomy. These moments create some of the best memories of my life, and conversely, these little people will have no memory of the day. It causes us to cherish the moment for itself, as that will be its own reward. That, and the gazillion photos taken.

I am glad I had children at a young enough age to be part of their lives through to the grandparenting phase. It truly creates a strong desire to be well enough to see as much of the grandchildren’s life stages as possible. Hopefully with smart choices and healthy living I can stay to a point where they too have memories of grandpa rather than just old photos .

In the mean time, every chance to play princess, or pirates, or read a book, or chase a ball, play peek-a-boo, push a swing or just take a walk with a tiny hand in mine will be another Best Day of My Life too.