When these words from Proverbs caught my attention last night, they captured the blessing of the day. The day had been filled with anxiety and stress. It all culminated in exhilaration as we shared our grandson’s thrill of victory. He and his teammates hustled, scrapped, and battled to defeat the opposing team by finding the composure to overcome the ever-present emotional pressures of a championship competition. As 5-A Regional Basketball Champions, his team advances to the state’s final four. The euphoria of victory served to anesthetize the bruises and abrasions suffered in the contest; and the season of commitment and sacrifice suffered in reaching the milestone are now but faint memories encapsulated in the grandeur of becoming a champion.

Our delight came from sharing his. It was but one jewel in the crown from our children’s children. But it’s not as if grandparents have no roles to play in nurturing the lives of grandchildren. Grandparents have important ones. Besides being role models, the role of grandparents is one of cheering on, cheering up, and helping out.

Cheering on is when we stand behind them as they travel their own journey through life. It is being a nearby companion as they experience their life’s passages.

Cheering up is coming along side to encourage them when the road seems full of bumps and potholes. These are the times to lift them up to meet the tests before them and to equip them to conquer future trials on their own.

Then there is helping out. Helping out is providing guidance in finding solutions to the continuous parade of life’s challenges. That’s when the benefit of age really lends a hand. If age produces nothing else of value, it is our own lifelong experiences that provide us the wisdom to pass along in helping grandchildren develop.

Our children’s children are truly a crown. Yesterday a jewel was added to ours as we shared the joy of the eldest one; tomorrow and the days after, other jewels will be added from sharing the joys of the others, one by one. Without a doubt, the crown is worth the price of growing older. We find it to be one of God’s most precious gifts.