I picked up my grandson from school on a bright afternoon, wearing my favorite floral sweater—the one his late grandfather used to tease me about, saying it made me look like spring itself. I waved the moment I saw him. He noticed me too, but instead of smiling back, he looked away, turned his shoulders, and walked in the opposite direction with his friends. I stood there longer than I should have, my hand still half-raised, pretending to check my phone so no one would see the sting on my face. Later that evening, when I gently asked him why he hadn’t come over, he shrugged and said quietly, “You embarrassed me.” He didn’t say it with anger—just honesty. Still, the words landed heavier than he realized.
When a Simple Moment Changed a Grandparent–Grandchild Relationship
