Fall 2007 Volume 4, Number 3

A Success Story

Simon Koski, M.Ed.
Licensed Professional Counselor

Marsha Koski, MA
Retired Early Childhood Director
 

We are grandparents in our 60’s who have raised our granddaughter for most of her life. As we think about how it happened that we took over the primary caretaker role, we realize that it is a journey that has profoundly shaped who we have become over the last 21 years. We have grown spiritually and professionally during this time in ways that would not have happened otherwise.

The journey of parenting the second time started gradually. Our daughter was struggling with relationship, addiction, and perhaps, mental health issues. We worked hard on helping her, and on helping ourselves, to try to deal with these issues all through her adolescent years. When our granddaughter (her daughter) was born, we were there to be the safety valve when her mother was unable to care for her because she was having a bad day or weekend. Over the years, our granddaughter began to stay at our home more and more, with our daughter’s permission, until she was with us full time.

When our granddaughter began going through tough emotional times in her adolescence, we needed more than just an informal parental agreement in order to get services for her because we weren’t her parents. We had to get legal guardianship in order to help her.

The present chapter of our story has a happy ending. Our 21year old granddaughter is married to a good man with a job and a strong work ethic. They are loving, solid parents who have given us two beautiful great grandchildren, with whom we interact almost daily. Our daughter is taking steps to live a sane, sober lifestyle, and we are advocates in the community for grandparents raising grandchildren, and are supporters of recovery from addiction programs.

Personally, our journey has been difficult, but full of opportunities to learn, grow stronger, and to help others along the way. We thought that we were alone, but discovered many caring people who are going through the same thing, and many angels who helped to ease the way. Raising our granddaughter has been a blessing, and has made us stronger, wiser, and more understanding of others and of our selves.