‘Let’s get him.’
Written by a professional Grandpa.
I was recently attending a family christening; my eldest daughter’s fourth child and third in a line of very pretty little daughters.
Her eldest, my grandson Ted, nine years old and decidedly less pretty than his sisters was racing around the house, dodging in and out of the other guests, closely accompanied by his cousin and best mate Joseph, also nine and equally boisterous, evidently re-enacting their latest switch game.
Through the morass of bodies, of all ages drinking champagne and celebrating baby FiFi’s big day, Ted saw his favourite Grandpa and decided it was time for him and Joseph to beat me up.
As their flailing bodies descended upon me in an attempt to wrestle me to the floor, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride.
My two grandsons, out of the thirty or so people in the room had chosen me, by no means the youngest, to engage in combat.
They had chosen me amongst other things because they knew I would probably wrestle them back, probably on the floor, and then would continue the combat, ending with a chase around the garden.
Not only were they confident that this aging male would be fit enough to be the subject of their assault but I was also confident that my body would be able to engage in some meaningful and enjoyable exercise with them.
It was then that I realised I was indeed, ‘Grandpa fit;’ And that to me is what it’s all about.
My personal trainer Anthony goes to great lengths to support and strengthen my body so that I can still bend, lift, race, and importantly balance, not so that I can preen myself in the gym or compete in a triathlon or even run a marathon but for something far more important; so that I can meaningfully play with my grandchildren. Above all, amongst all those other people at our recent family gathering (including the other Grandpa!) Ted and Joseph preferentially chose to fight with me. The importance of regular exercise in achieving the status of being “Grandpa Fit” cannot be underestimated!