It is in the way of my family to adopt grandparents. For as long as I can remember, I have always had an aunt or uncle that truly wasn't blood related. When my family moved a couple of years ago, we started adopting new grandparents. (I mean, we have blood related grandparents, but we function on the mantra of 'the more, the merrier.')
We started with the widow across the street. It was like a secret game to us children to sally forth with our shovels over our marshmallow like shoulders. While snowflakes draped themselves across our eyelashes, we piled snow at the edges of our neighbor's driveway. After finishing that drive way, we would cross the street and begin upon another un-shoveled driveway.
The widows on our street were thrown into a confused cloud of gratitude toward these unknown 'snow angels' who always came to shovel their driveways and then disappeared before caught. It was a lovely mystery to create. Of course, the mystery only lasted so long.
Upon discovery, each woman was eager to place cash into the hands of these do-gooders. My mother who had instigated this type of mystery also kindly refused this monetary gift. That's when the term 'snow angels' began to truly stick. In this way, we have acquired more grandparents who are interested in the intricacies of our lives.
These women have greatly influenced my life and the lives of my siblings. Throughout the years, we have shoveled their driveways and tended to their yards. They, in turn, have creatively found ways to pay us in gift form although they are well aware that we do not wish to be paid at all. I think this is the way community is supposed to work. We watch out for each other.
