neil

Many years ago, I was a volunteer Youth Minister at our church. I enjoyed that position for four beautiful years. My only reason for leaving was that I promised my kids I would step aside when they entered their teen years. I didn’t think having their parent in this trusted, and influential position was fair to them. I have always believed that young people should have a trusted adult, other than a parent, in their lives. The exciting thing about […]

Our job as human beings is to add value to all we meet. Big order, I know. Our unique position as Grandparents allows us the opportunity and responsibility to add compelling value to those beautiful gifts we call Grandchildren. In my almost eight decades on this spaceship called Earth, I have been a busy guy trying to connect with as many people as possible. In doing so, I have come to realize that each person I met wanted just one […]

The intention is an essential ingredient of connection. Because you are reading that sentence, you become qualified to be the best conduit for connecting with your Grandchildren. You will only be reading this article if you are a Caring Grandparent. Making a meaningful connection with another human being requires vulnerability on the part of both parties. A requirement for vulnerability is Trust. As a Grandparent, you are inherently qualified for the position. I have long believed that each child has […]

As Grandparents, we hold a unique power that can change our Grandkids’ Lives. We have a privileged front-row seat to the growing years of these precious charges. Our words carry magic when we catch our Grandchildren doing anything that challenges them. Be it sports, performance, school, and especially when they display empathy and compassion for someone. This last one is the payoff. This is our chance to etch a valuable behavior into their DNA. Not all of our Grandkids are […]

Like many families, my Grandkids pass the phone around among the three of them when they call Grandpa Neil. My greatest blessing is that this happens most Sunday mornings when they are on their way to church. They are now in their mid-teens, but I remember when my grandson was 8 or 9, and I was painfully aware that all I could think to ask him each week was, “How is School?’ You guessed it, one-word answer, “Fine.” I quickly […]

I refer to this as acceptable bragging. This past weekend I visited my Son’s house for a couple of days. My Son and his bride were out of town, so I got to have the kids all to my own. On the way, I picked up my 16-year-old granddaughter at school and gave her a ride home. When I arrived, I was greeted by my other 16-year-old granddaughter and one of her friends that had spent the night. What a […]

Since I live on the coast, I can walk on the beach. One of my greatest Joys is to go for sunrise. You may be surprised to know that the multitudes don’t get up early and crowd onto the beach. I prefer it that way. Each Sunday, I write a little, what I call a newsletter, to my family. Over the past five years, the number of people on that list has grown to about 60 now, including my Grandkids. […]

I want to follow up on my last article because it is at the core of adding value to the lives of those we care most deeply for. I recently read a piece I will paraphrase by saying, “We spend a lot of time communicating but not much time connecting.” This is an instructive statement that struck me regarding how I interact with my Grandchildren. Most of our family interaction falls on a spectrum depending on many factors. Not all […]

No matter who you are or how much Financial Wealth you have, the most significant value you can share with your Grandkids is your experiences and wisdom.Not the ole “I walked to school 5 miles in the freezing cold and blowing snow, and by the way it was uphill both ways” yarns. Rather than sharing natural stuff, like when you gave your first presentation at work and were scared to death. Or when you ask someone to the prom, and […]