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“Tell us something you learned about a grandparent that surprised you.”
I briefly considered talking about the utterly shocking news that one of my grandmothers not only has a tattoo, but got a tattoo recently. We were discussing my own tattoos, and she just BURST out with this revelation. It was basically the best moment all weekend (which is saying something, considering it was the weekend I graduated college). Instead, I’m going to go with something a little more recent, a little less surprising and of more best-moment material.
I recently finished a draft of a TV pilot I’ve been developing off and on for the better part of two years. I sent out a quick “hey, who wants to read this?” update on Facebook, and, to my everlasting horror, received a comment from my Gramma Crook saying “I’d love to!” I was horrified not that my grandmother would take an interest in my writing, because she’s a writer herself and she’s always been supportive of my creative side. I was horrified because of the content of my script. You see, there’s… sex in my story. And… swearing. And worst of all (or so I thought) there’s… a lesbian couple presented in a non-judgmental manner.
I thought my Gramma would be shocked! dismayed! scandalized! that her single, virginal granddaughter would a) know what sex is, b) know how it works and c) would write about two young lesbians in a positive light (I mean, one of the lesbians is dead, so they’re not happy, but still).
The problem was… I forgot for a moment that my Gramma is easily one of the coolest women I’ve ever met. I forgot that this is the woman who makes saucy jokes and speaks up in favor of birth control despite her strong Catholic faith. I forgot that my aunt (her daughter) is close friends with the pastor of her church, who happens to be a lesbian. In short, I forgot who my grandmother was. So I sent her the script, with a short caveat saying “hey, this has sex/swearing/lesbians, so if you don’t want to read it that’s cool too, I totally understand.”
In return I got this message: “Actually, I’m not as innocent or easily shocked as you may think, having [a fair number of] years of life experience. And, at your age, I would not expect you to be ignorant of the ways of the world. …And as to the lesbian couple — we know several [gay and] lesbian couples… When you get to know people, the labels fall away, you enjoy them for all their good qualities and don’t sit in judgment of how they were wired from birth. Promiscuity in any orientation is not a healthy lifestyle, so I think society should encourage and support committed, loving relationships for homosexuals as well as heterosexuals. Churches are free to decide who they will marry, but separation of church and state should keep churches out of civil law.”
I felt thoroughly ashamed that I allowed this side of my grandmother to surprise me, because as soon as I read her words I realized that I shouldn’t have been surprised. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.

L-R: me, my sister Megg, our Gramma. Dressed up for my high school graduation party (Harry Potter themed, of course!)
(This is not the grandmother who got a tattoo, but I can safely say that nothing about any of my grandparents would shock me anymore).
What about you? Has a grandparent ever surprised you?
Gretchen said:
I love your grandmother! Isn’t she wild and wonderful and sassy. And now, I want to read your screenplay!
Laura said:
My family is so blessed, haha. And I’m working on a second draft of the pilot, but as soon as that’s ready I’ll probably put an announcement/plea for readers up on the blog, so keep your eyes peeled :) thanks for commenting!
dawn aka BusyMom said:
stopping by from Mama Kats…
Thoroughly enjoyed your Grandmother… she would have very likely been friends with mine… if they were the same age, lived in the same place and had the time to hang out with girlfriends…
I want to be the cool grandma… I certainly am not the cool mom… at least not according to those high school kids that are eating me out of house and home and using up all the gas in the tank…
Laura said:
Well speaking as a former high school kid, your cool mom status will rocket once they graduate and go to college or start their adult lives! I didn’t appreciate my mom half as much in high school as I do now :) thanks for commenting!
Diane@BeStillaMinute said:
Your grandma sounds like my kind of person! LOVED her words in response to your little disclaimer. What a blessing she must be to have in your life!
Laura said:
She is SUCH a blessing. My entire family is blessed with all living grandparents (and we’re further blessed because due to divorce and remarriage… I actually have six grandparents! More people to love!) Thanks for commenting :)
dumb mom said:
Very cool. I saw my grandma flirt with a boy I liked once. It totally change the way I saw her! She was so adorable!
Laura said:
I love adorable grandmas! It’s so easy to think of them as just being grandmothers, let alone ladies who know how to flirt! Thanks for commenting :)
SUPAHMAMA said:
What amazing women you BOTH are. Now, tell us about Grandma’s tattoo.
Laura said:
HAHA! It’s a rose, and it’s on her hip. I really wished she had put it on her ankle or something so I could see it. I honestly thought she was joking, except then my grandfather was like “yeah, it’s totally there!”
I asked her “why a rose?” and she simply said “well, I didn’t like anything else in the tattoo book.” To someone like me, surrounded by people my age who ascribe so much meaning to a tattoo (as opposed to treating it simply like art), it was such a foreign concept!!