KAROO NEWS - On Sunday evening, I chatted to my two-year-old granddaughter Kate, whilst she ate breakfast, and then watched her read a story to her favourite teddy. Nothing exceptional for many families, except that Kate lives in Las Vegas and I live in the middle of the Karoo.
Although I would love to be physically closer to my children and grandchildren, the reality of modern life is such that many older folk today are in the same boat as us, with families spread around the country or even around the globe.
I feel very blessed to be part of a generation with access to the wonders of modern communication technology, unlike my own parents when my children were growing up. They were in England and we were in South Africa, so they had to be content with photographs sent through the post every few months.
We had to first finish a roll of film (usually 36 photos), wait for them to be developed, and then hope that there would be a few good enough to send to the grandparents. They were treasured, but the system was costly, time-delayed, and inefficient, as quite often the letters were lost or damaged in the post.
My other granddaughter, Hayley, is in Johannesburg, and few days go by without a video call. She is almost 15 months old, and I have been privileged to share in her first faltering steps, and to hear her speak those precious first words, an experience my own parents missed out on.
Her beaming smiles really brighten our days.
We also receive videos and photos of the children's everyday activities, and in recent weeks we have seen Kate playing in the snow and Hayley's wonder at the Christmas lights. If these memories were stored on old-fashioned video tape, they would have worn out long ago, we have watched them so many times!
It's wonderful when the little ones blow us kisses, and even hug the phone — but I can't wait to see them 'in real life,' to be hugged by those little arms!
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