Jamming with Jackson: I feel alive again

“Never have children, only grandchildren.” — Gore Vidal

Due to the pandemic slowly getting under control — thank God for those vaccines — I’ve been able to see my 2-year-old grandson Jackson more and more lately. Seeing him on video chat during the long lost COVID year was better than nothing, but actually being able to hold him and play with him again has been like a breath of fresh air. I feel alive again.

Whenever I see him, if the weather is nice, I prefer for us to play in the backyard. Being outside getting dirty is what little boys — and even big boys known as grandfathers — are meant to do. What’s funny is, whenever Jackson goes from one thing to the next, like from the dirt pile to the wading pool, he always runs. When I told this to my daughter, she said: “He doesn’t have any time to waste!” Think about that for a moment.

Here’s a 2-year-old boy who is so thrilled to be outside with his grandfather running and jumping and playing around that he has no choice but to run excitedly between things. He has so much energy and gets so thrilled about everything. A bug, an errant ball, or a stick of wood can totally captivate him. When was the last time you were that excited? The last time for me was probably when I walked my daughter down the aisle at her wedding. Good thing I didn’t run then!

We can really learn a lot from Jackson, especially during these chaotic days of COVID, “fake news,” climate change, etc. For example, the other day he was peeling a banana. He came upon a brown spot in the banana, so he picked it off and gave it to me. He’s smart enough to know that it’s OK to give the brown spot in your banana to your grandfather. No one had to tell him that’s what grandfathers are for. I like that.

In this country we get up early, get to the office or the job site, and bust our tails until closing time. Not Jackson. He is full of energy all the time, yet at 1 p.m. he goes down for a nap. He doesn’t chug a Red Bull or down two cups of strong black coffee to keep going all day like many of us do. He knows there’s a time for play and a time for rest. Good for him. At two he already has more wisdom than many of us.

Jackson has a few favorite TV shows, like “Thomas the Tank Engine,” the classic British kids show, and “Stinky and Dirty,” about two best friends, one a garbage truck and one an excavator. But that’s about all the TV he watches. He’s outside whenever he can be, or playing with his trucks and trains, or reading a book. Limiting TV time — thanks, Mom and Dad — is a great way to get kids to do real-world things that they’ll enjoy and remember for a long time.

Like me, Jackson is a voracious reader. He probably has a hundred books. I never had that many, but I made up for it by reading cereal boxes and things like that. His parents don’t take a daily newspaper, though. How is he supposed to read the comics? I’ll have to figure that one out for him, I guess. But Jackson will often just grab a book off the shelf, plop himself in your lap, and expect you to read it to him. Nothing better than that. In fact, it’s an absolute joy.

Jackson, even at 2, has an amazing vocabulary. My daughter and son-in-law have done a great job of reading to him and interacting with him in many different ways. The other day, we were sitting at the kitchen table and he just blurted out, “Are you kidding me?” and laughed his head off. I thought that was great. Kids really do say the darndest things. Many times he will just randomly tell you “I love you,” often accompanied by a big hug. If that doesn’t melt your heart, nothing will.

Sometimes Jackson will drop what he’s doing, yell out, “Let’s run!” and then just take off. I’ve seen him do endless loops between the living room and kitchen that would make your head spin. So much pure joy and energy. My thing when I was his age — yes, I really can remember that far back — was jumping up and down in my crib, over and over and over, to the point where my parents had to move me to a bed because they thought I’d jump out of the crib and kill myself. All I can say is, and I’m sure Jackson would corroborate, is it’s just a lot of fun and exciting to be an energetic little boy with a whole big world to explore.

There was a time during the height of the pandemic when we were allowed to see Jackson only outside, and had to maintain a six-foot distance. Of course that was awkward but it was better than nothing. At one point, Jackson told his mom he wanted Grandma and Grandpa to come inside the house to play. He knew something was wrong, poor guy.

Once, he was trying to get up onto a hammock. He looked at me with those big eyes and said “Grandpa, help!” Don’t tell my daughter, but I reached out and helped him up. I know it was wrong and I’ll probably get yelled at but what can you do.

To see the circle of life continue as you interact with your grandkids is a supreme pleasure for sure. I even said to my daughter that I wish Jackson could stay age 2 forever. Of course, I’m not the one changing diapers, so there’s that I know, but still. Enjoy your grandkids if you are lucky enough to have them.

P.S. Just when I though “America’s Mayor” had completely lost his mind, I found this gem from Rudy Giuliani: “What children need the most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, and lessons in life.”

Thanks, Rudy. At least we agree on one thing.