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Special Relationships Exhibition

Page Updated: December 6, 2010

Council invited grandparents and grandchildren to write about their special relationship with each other, exhibiting the winning entries as part of the Special Relationships Exhibition 2003.

Sandra Kinkade and Natalie Baker

Sandra

'Natalie brings joy and laughter and a sense of being, and I love the never-ending friendship and bond we have. Also the joy of seeing life all over again through her eyes. It is a real pleasure to be her grandmother. I remember when we went to the Blue Gum Farm, we had our lunch in my basket while we were watching the pigs playing up. One of the horses in another pen put his head through the fence and started taking out our lunch bag, so Natalie and myself had a tug of war with the horse. We could not stop laughing. Needless to say the horse won!'

Natalie, aged 10

'My Grandmother is always there for me and she helps me when I need it and she's also fun to be with. I like to do arts and crafts with her. I also like to sleepover at her house and do some cooking. She told me how to cook great scones and cakes. My Grandmother is very helpful in everyway to me and she's my favourite person to be around. When I am a Grandparent I want to do cooking, sewing, knitting and art and craft with my Grandchildren.'

Emma Blanshard and Bette Blanshard

Emma, aged 10

'What I love about my Nanna is she is very kind hearted. She cares about me and she is the best Nanna in the world. I like to help my Nanna in the garden and I like helping her making breakfast in the morning and helping her tidying the house. My Nana is very kind and she makes me feel better when I am sad. When I grow older I will look after my Grandchildren and teach them to be loving and caring'.

Bette

I'm very proud of Emma. I like to see her swimming and doing ballet. She is a very affectionate girl and she is always pleased to see me. Emma always likes to help make breakfast when she stays at our house, and she is very good at it. She was my first grandchild and I remember her birth very fondly.'

Renee Brenton and Jan Brenton

Renee, aged 11

'We have fun, we talk and talk and laugh. I can tell my Nana anything and she understands. My Nan is a bookworm and sometimes let's me read her books (the funny ones mostly). We play games and do puzzles. Nan takes me to "Tangalooma" on Moreton Island where I can hand feed the wild dolphins and that's really fun. My Nana takes me to Art lessons, to swimming and bowling. We've just started Physical Culture and we both practice together and that's great fun. My Nana is excellent and I wouldn't change her for anything. She is always there for me and encourages me to do my best. When I am a Grandparent I think I will spend my time playing with my Grandchildren and spending lots of time with them while I can. I will also spoil them to bits like my Nan does me.'

Jan

'Renee and I share a love of books. We seek them out for bargains and special editions for our collection. We love to go to shows, and it's such fun to dress up. We often go to our log cabin in Bundanoon and Renee will spend her pocket money on a plant for me, which always seems to thrive & bloom. Renee enriches my life on a daily basis. I am so blessed to have her and I cherish every moment spent with her. She has taught me much - keeps me young at heart and inspires me with her nature, which is very fair towards all. I remember when just after dawn on a winter morn 11½ years ago, a lovely baby girl appeared in the lens of my camera as I recorded the moment of her birth. She stole my heart and has held it captive ever since - she is my 'best friend.'

Emily Jane Briggs and Myra Myers

Emily Jane, aged 10

'I love my Grandpa & Grandma because they're both there for me when I need them. My Grandpa always teaches me things or when I need to bring something to school he gives it to me. My Grandma helps me buy things, especially presents for people.With my Grandma, I love going to the movies, shopping, on ferries, going to the city and going to restaurants. I love going exploring, bushwalking, going to the beach and going investigating with my Grandpa. I love going to sleepovers at my Grandma & Grandpas and staying up late. I love my Grandparents so much, they mean heaps to me. I share my secrets with them and when I have a problem I can tell them. When I'm a Grandparent I'm going to be just like them.'

Myra

The innocence of a bright enquiring young mind brings a new and refreshing view of everyday family activities and relationships. Emily's view of our family over a wide range of interests, make her a delight to be with, whether it be attending her various activities or supporting her family in their activities, (including her grandparents!) In bringing her life problems for advice from her Grandmother or her 'fix it', 'make it' problems to her Grandfather, Emily involves us in her life and makes us feel loved, needed and wanted.Emily often stays over at our house and she takes great delight in the family memorabilia - She recently declared 'when I grow up, I am going to buy Grandma's house and live there' and that she 'loves her Grandfather because he does lots of different stuff.'

Corinne Caston-Matthews and Harvey Hemsworth

Harvey

'I do not have a family and friends are of middle to senior age. Corrine brings to me the clarity and precociousness of a forming young mind, unaffected by others opinions. The contact allows me to see the new generation, it's aims and pleasures and it helps me remember the happiness of my own youth. I hope in return that I bring to Corrine a little of that attention which an extended family would normally bring. Last Halloween night was memorable because of the fun and happiness, which Corinne and her friends had from 'trick or treating'. Garbed in all sorts of costumes, they roamed the neighbour- hood. It reminded me of the 'fancy dress' evenings of my childhood. Any contribution I made to this was amply rewarded.'

Corinne, aged eight

'Harvey is kind to me. He always has time to listen to me. At Christmas he gave me a Calligraphy set which was very thoughtful and shows that he knows what I like. He also gives the BEST 'trick or treat' bags in the Cul-de-sac. Harvey comes to my school when it is Grandparents day (All my real Grand-parents live in America or the UK). I show Harvey all my schoolwork and he asks lots of questions about it. He even made himself a special badge, which said 'Honorary Grandparent'. I'd like to say that Harvey is kind to all the local kids and animals. When I am a grandparent, I will spend time playing with my Grandchildren, help out their parents and be kind to the community.'

Rachel Cavanagh and Wendy Cavanagh

Rachel, aged nine

'What I like best about my friendship with my Nanna is that she takes me to a lot of great places eg: Carols in the Domain, the Easter Show, the movies and shows like The Wizard of Oz. We have fun together and I go back to her house and sleep over night. When we wake up in the morning, we get straight to work. The things I like to do with my Nanna are make magnificent cards with cardboard, paper, stamps and an embossing machine. We talk and play the piano and go shopping. We make hot chocolates and hot cappuccinos together. When I am older I think I would like to spend time doing the same things I do with my Nanna & my other Grandparents.'

Wendy

'The relationship with my Grandchild is the most amazing experience. I feel a very strong sense of being and loved very much. The honesty that my Grandchild has with me is just amazing and when we are together we just chat away and the time seems endless. We have lots of giggles and laughter when we do the wonderful activities together and I never want that moment to finish. Words cannot be found for the feeling I have when my grandchild is with me. All I can say is that I am loved very much, with so much compassion and under-standing - leaving me with so much happiness.I share many stories about my life growing up in Balmain when I was her age, and the special things we did.'

Flo Cooper and Tara

Flo

'Tara has brought so much joy and happiness to me and I love her dearly. She lived with me for 5 months last year whilst her house was being renovated and I never saw her get cranky once, she was such a pleasure to have in our home. Tara comes and stays with me on weekends sometimes. We go out and have morning tea on Sunday morning before I take her home, which is lovely. I was at the hospital when Tara was born and at 2.00 am in the morning she opened her big brown eyes. I knew she was going to be the most special person in my life. And that is my favourite memory. On Tara's birthday, I take her shopping and we have a great day buying presents and having morning tea and lunch.'

Tara, aged 11

'I love my Nan very, very much. I love the way she likes to spend her time with me and even though she has cancer, she always puts her grandchildren first.I like to do everything and anything with my Nan. I go over to my Nan's house a lot and every morning I'd jump into her bed and have a cup of tea and biscuits. That's my favourite thing to do.I'd like to say 'I love her very, very, very much'. She is one of my favourite people in the world and I wouldn't trade her for anything and when I grow up, I want to be just like my Nan.When I'm a grandparent, I'm going to love and cherish my Grandkids and try to spend all my time with them, just like my Nan.'

Laraine Anderson and Hayley O'Mara

Laraine

'My relationship with my Granddaughter Hayley means the world to me. Hayley is an absolute delight. We have the most wonderful relationship and spend many, many great times together.Hayley brings so much pleasure to my life. She certainly keeps me on the move and keeps the old mind active. I treasure every moment I spend with her. (SHE IS MY BEST FRIEND.)I have so many wonderful memories I have shared with Hayley over the past 11 years I could go on and on. Such as a couple of weeks ago I hurt my back and was confined to the lounge Hayley spent the entire day with me. We talked and talked, looked at old photos and ate all the wrong things. We had a lovely day just spending time together.'

Hayley, aged 11

'The thing that I like best about my friendship with my Nan is that I know that I'm special to her, and only Nan and I share that special relationship. We are very close in everyway enjoying doing fun things and sometimes doing nothing at all but being together. I just love my Nan. What I like doing with my Nan is going to the movies & Clontarf but most of all I like just going over to her house and staying the night because we talk and eat boxes of chocolate, watch movies and look at lots of photos. I would say to my Nan that I love her and appreciate our friendship and time we spend together. When I'm a Nan I'm going to spend time with my grandchildren by taking them to the beach and just hangout with them.'

Martha Graham and Naomi Gracey

Naomi, aged seven

'What I like best about my friendship with my Grandmother is that she spoils me and she gives me nice treats and I like it when I sleep over at her house. I also like growing the garden with her and cooking. I think she is nice and when I sleep over at her house, she tells me stories.When I grow up and become a Grandparent I will go to work and go to bingo and look after kids.'

Martha

'From when Naomi was born on the 19th of December 1995, she has been so special in our lives. She has given me more joy, love and lots of happiness in the many hours we spend together.My special memories of Naomi, is when she comes for a 'sleep over'. We lie in bed for hours and I tell her stories about when I was a wee girl brought up in Ireland with five sisters & two brothers, with a pony and tray for transport. I have lots to tell and she likes to hear them over and over again.'

Valerie and Zoe Hoogstad

Valerie

'My Grandchild brings me joy, laughter and real friendship. I know we will be friends for life. I admire her for her generosity of spirit, curiosity and her many talents. Her relationships on all levels, are admirable and a lesson to many of us in a disrupted world.My own Grandmother was a very special person in my life. My Mother was sick and my Grandmother gave me friendship, love and support. She respected and trusted me as a child, (and joy of joy) she even let me serve her customers in her shop!I in turn, show my Grandchild trust, anddisplay to her that I respect her point of view. At dinnertime we choose a topic for debate and we learn to respect each other's ideas and contribution.'

Zoe, aged nine

'I like having my Grandmother and Grandfather around as I always have someone to talk to, even if Mum and Dad are away. I also like it that I know them so well, that I can tell them anything.I like to read stories by the fire and toast marshmallows with them, we also like to go to the park. They are both very special and I love them very much. When I am a Grandparent I will have a job but I will spend lots of time with my children and Grandchildren.'

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