“Every Birthday and Christmas, I Gift My Grandchildren Money: Only Silence from My Oldest Grandson”

Every year as the calendar pages turn to the special months of April and December, I sit down at my old mahogany desk, pen in hand, to write checks for my grandchildren’s birthdays and Christmas gifts. It’s a tradition I started when they were just toddlers, eagerly tearing open gift-wrapped boxes. Now, with them growing up, I’ve continued the tradition through monetary gifts, hoping to give them a little financial ease or extra joy for their personal desires.

Kaylee, now a vibrant 16-year-old with a passion for painting, always calls me within a day or two of receiving her check. Her voice, bubbling with excitement, fills me with joy as she describes her latest art supply discoveries which she plans to buy. Eva, the youngest at 13, sends handwritten thank-you notes decorated with stickers and doodles, sharing her plans to save for a new bicycle.

However, my oldest grandson, Justin, a 20-year-old college sophomore, has been a mystery. Over the past few years, since he started college, my interactions with him have dwindled. The checks I send him are cashed, but they are met with silence. No calls, no messages, no letters. It pains me a bit, as I wonder about his life and whether my gifts mean anything to him at all.

This Christmas, I decided to try something different. Along with his check, I included a small note: “Dear Justin, I hope this finds you well. I would love to hear about your college life and your dreams. Maybe we could have a chat sometime? Love, Grandpa Gary.”

Weeks passed, and the silence lingered. Disappointment was just beginning to settle in when my phone rang one chilly evening in January. It was Justin. His voice, deeper than I remembered, was hesitant at first. “Hey, Grandpa Gary, it’s Justin. I got your note. I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch. College has been overwhelming, and I guess I didn’t realize how important it was to keep the communication going.”

We talked for over an hour. Justin shared stories of his studies in environmental science, his hopes to make a difference in the world, and the little adventures and misadventures of college life. He apologized for his silence, explaining how he often felt swamped with responsibilities and deadlines.

“Grandpa, I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” Justin said earnestly. “Your checks have helped me more than you can imagine. I’ve used them to buy books and even contributed to a field project on renewable energy sources. I promise to do better at keeping in touch.”

True to his word, Justin started sending me text updates about his projects and occasionally calling to share a funny incident or a new achievement. Our relationship blossomed anew, bridging the gap that had formed over the years.

As I sit by my desk, preparing for another round of birthday checks, I feel a warm glow in my heart. The simple act of reaching out had opened doors to understanding and reconnecting. I realized that sometimes, all it takes is a little nudge to remind our loved ones that they are thought of, that they matter. And sometimes, that nudge brings back voices that were sorely missed.