my new-old grand dad ted

Growing up in another country from each of my grandparents in different times in my life has made having a decent relationship with either set difficult. When I lived in New Zealand my mom's parents were my constant. When we moved to the States my dad's parents became the norm. I used to think having a relationship with at least one set was better than nothing. Now I see if I don't have a substantial relationship with both of them I lose half of my identity (not to mention really great stories about my parents).

Last year, while I lived in China, my Grandad Ted and I took interest in each other and skyped often (it helped too we were in closer timezones). At first it felt weird and mechanical because it had been so long and we didn't really know each other. With every chat, though, our conversations became more fun and enjoyable. Now I feel very apart of him and his life and I think he feels the same about me. After all of these years I feel like I have a NEW granddad ted and it's exciting! I love hearing his stories and seeing his view of the world. He was a sailor, a captain, then a harbor master and has been all over the world. 7-year-old Rebecca didn't know any of this!

He, in the last few years, transformed his kiwi orchard into a pasture and is raising "steers" - NOT cows - and he has two cats and a little corgi dog.

I'm excited about this new-old relationship :)