When my kids were young I used to tell them that someday, when they had children of their own, I was going to buy each one of them a pony. It was really more of a threat than a promise, as in:

If the two of you don’t stop fighting and getting on my last good nerve, I swear, one day I will pull up in front of your houses with a horse trailer and tell your children, “Kids! Look what Grandma brought you! Don’t forget to feed him!” Just out of pure spite.

And then drive away.

So seriously did my children take my threat that I used to overhear them discussing their potential options. They wondered aloud whether or not the man at church who owns a horse farm might take said pony off their hands.

There are reasons—good reasons, I think, that grandmothers have gained a reputation for spoiling their grandbabies.  Now that my baby girl is grown and married and about to have a baby of her own, I’ve been thinking about the deep privilege of entering grandparenthood.

I am thrilled beyond words to be sharing the rest of my story over at emily’s place at imperfect prose today. Won’t you click here to continue reading?

Emily is a ridiculously gifted artist, writer, and mama. She is also a beautiful soul and one of the first friends I made as a blogger. Her new book, Chasing Silhouettes: How to Help a Loved One Battling an Eating Disorder, is now available but continues to sell out rapidly. This tells me her words are already being a blessing to many.

If you haven’t yet ordered a copy for yourself or a loved one, do yourself a favor. Her words flow with blessing and healing.