Los Angeles, CA–A note from activist Jimmy Deuchars of Grandparents Apart UK:
A granny called me today in a terrible state. She had just met her daughter-in-law and grandson aged 5 as she was shopping in the town. She had not seen him for a couple of weeks as her son and daughter-in-law had an argument. “I kept out of the quarrel but I never knew they had split up, I just thought it would blow over.” The wee boy broke free from his mother and ran up to her shouting “granny, granny’ and flung himself into her arms saying “I miss you granny, why do not come to see me any more?”
The granny said, “I held back the tears and looked at my daughter-in-law”s face but she was very grim as she pulled him away. As they left she turned back and spat out to me ‘You will never see him again.’ I was devastated – what had I done?’ “Our life with our grandson was just about every day and I babysat for them whenever they needed me and watched him regularly to give her time to herself. I love my daughter-in-law and grandson to bits and he adores me. I don”t understand why she is taking it out on me and her own son because she has fallen out with my son’ “I feel as if I”ve lost him forever like a death in my family.” My heart felt for her immediately because the pain we felt was also agonising and still is when we hear a granny”s broken hearted plea.. I listened to her for ages but there was no consoling her. “What am I to do?’ she kept saying, sobbing uncontrollably, “my wee grandson will be broken hearted, he”ll be missing me.” It is all too common nowadays that children are used in this way to get revenge. Taking it out on a granny who was not even involved and was always there for them. It beggars belief how people can do this to their own child, for at the end of the day it is the children who lose out.
Deuchars can be reached via email at james@grandparents.fsnet.co.uk or by phone at 0141 882 5658