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On Being a Father and Grandfather
Malcolm Cramb
One of our finalists in the 2019 Grow Medical Essay Competition "Stories of Fatherhood"
After growing up in a very tough and disciplined environment in Scotland during the War, I arrived in Australia, stayed and got married. I was ready to raise a family in this wonderful country and I had all my ideas on the rearing of children.
What a shock was in store for me. Children, I discovered, all have a mind of their own and no fear of expressing it. All my preset ideas had to be modified and adapted for each of my three. But we did try to create a carefree, happy environment, encouraging enterprise and free expression – except of course on the odd occasion when the bounds were abused, and admonition applied.
But love was unconditional, although sometimes hard to do. This I believe was, and is, still reciprocated today, and to that end I think my wonderful wife and I succeeded.
Now being with my three grandchildren gives me enormous pleasure. My youngest, a little beauty at almost one, is a cuddly delight and is changing by the day. So adventurous, she will soon be walking and talking, and this will be another adventure.
My two grandsons, now 7 and 9, are great young lads, and as they have grown up they have kept me young. But nowadays, hard as I try, they can out-bat, out-bowl and outrun me. But not quite outfox me yet!
Children and grandchildren of all ages are life’s greatest pleasures. Nurture them and it gets returned manifold. You realise late in life that family is paramount. Never forget it.
Make Sure you vote in the Grow Medical 2019 Essay Competition
by going to our Facebook Page, and liking and sharing your favourite Story of Fatherhood.
See our other finalist essays on the privilege of fatherhood
and the silly side of fatherhood.