Parenting comes full circle

Dear Annie: When my daughter was little, I met with a potential employer who asked about my family. I told him I had a 2-year-old, and he said something I've never forgotten: His daughters were grown, and his greatest joy was talking with them as adults and realizing he had raised two amazing women. Now, at 75, I understand exactly what he meant.It was difficult when our daughter went off to college four hours away, and even harder when she left for graduate school eight hours from home. As someone with a Ph.D., I knew how time-consuming her studies would be, and we only saw her a couple of weekends a year. But it was worth it. Today, she has a thriving career and lives just 25 miles away. She has two young daughters of her own who come for sleepovers every few weekends — exhausting and exhilarating all at once.Now that my wife and I are retired, we've grown even closer and have had the chance to travel and enjoy this stage of life together. I wouldn't trade the four amazing women in my life — my wife, my daughter and my two granddaughters — or the memories we've made for anything.Raising children to be independent, finding joy in who they become and building a life of your own — these might just be the greatest accomplishments of all. Don't you think? Grateful Grandpa Dear Grateful: Thank you so much for sharing your letter. Gratitude is a beautiful quality, and one that carries us through every stage of life. It shifts our focus from what we lack to what we cherish — and your words are a perfect example of that.You clearly recognize the blessings around you: the love of your wife, the success of your daughter and the joy of your granddaughters. That kind of perspective is not only heartwarming; it is inspiring. Gratitude deepens our relationships, softens our disappointments, and allows us to find meaning in both the struggles and the triumphs.Your story is a reminder that even when life brings change or distance, the rewards of love, family and reflection are lasting. Thank you for reminding all of us to appreciate the moments and the people that make life truly rich. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com