An Ode to Grandparents

Mona Charen has a nice piece in Townhall today about Simone Biles, the American gold medal gymnast whom she accurately describes as, "... a 4-foot-9 blend of rocket fuel and fairy dust." Simone was raised by her grandparents who refused to let her flounder when her biological parents took a flyer. Charen notes that this meant, " ... the gymnastics lessons, and the travel, and the home schooling, and the emergency room visits, and the care not to neglect the sister, and the whole exhausting, exhilarating ride." They persevered and the result is an Olympic champion. 

She closes her column with this:

"Biles' story is not typical. Once-in-a-generation athletes are anything but typical. But her family story is becoming more common. In 2010, the U.S. Census reported, 4.9 million American children were being raised solely by their grandparents. That's nearly double the number from 2000. It was the softest of landings for the spirited Simone Biles. She has much to teach about the blessing of adoption, the meaning of love and the irreplaceable institution of the family."

Amen. Congratulations to Simone but her grandparents deserve a gold medal too. Hats off to them and all other grandparents who have shouldered the burden of raising a second family. You are all champions!

townhall.com/columnists/monacharen/2016/08/12/the-moral-of-the-simone-biles-story-n2204033