Richard Eyre encourages grandfathers to ask themselves a very important question: what kind of grandfather will you be? Statistics tell us that male Baby Boomers probably have another 20 to 30 good years ahead of us, and most have grandchildren. But how much time and mental energy will we expend on these living legacies? How much will we prioritize them, and how proactive and deliberate will we be as granddads? New York Times #1 bestselling author, Richard Eyre encourages grandfathers to ask themselves a very important question: what kind of grandfather will you be? Will you be a "disengaged grandfather," who downsizes to an adults-only apartment by a golf course and rarely sees his grandkids? Will you be a "limited grandfathering," who loves to see his grandkids, but in limited doses and on his terms? Will you be a "supportive grandfather," who becomes part helper, part martyr, sacrificing his own life to be at the beck-and-call of his adult children whenever they “need” help with their kids? Or will you be a "proactive grandfather"? Only when we choose to be proactive does grandfathering become effective, consequential, and truly fun. At this level, you deliberately ponder the needs you can uniquely fulfill, and you set goals and plans to enhance your grandchildren's lives (in concert and in teamwork with the goals and stewardship of their parents). This approach will stretch and test you, but it will also reward you with levels of fulfillment, well-being, love, and peace otherwise unobtainable.
