Spring is in the air (Disney 1933)
Spring is in the air
I know there’s a love to share
Maybe here or there
It could be everywhere
Spring is in the air. It’s the season of high school romance and a time when students begin thinking about one of the biggest events of their high school years – the prom. Grandpa remembers asking a girl to attend prom with him. He wasn’t currently dating her and he asked her face to face…that took real nerve. Grandpa also remembers how he rehearsed his invitation for days and how nervous he was when he finally asked.
Grandma remembers wondering whether any phone call or invitation would come for her – especially from the right guy, not the wrong one. She had to be careful about what channels she used to let the news bubble up to her “crush” without causing any breaches with any of her girlfriends.
Spring was madness, but since nearly everyone felt it and faced it, the madness seemed normal.
The Times, They Are a Changin’
Many of today’s high schoolers have found a prom “workaround.” They just attend the dance with a gang of friends. It might be a group of three boys and five girls or a group of eight boys and three girls. They dress up, reserve a table, go out to dinner (Dutch treat), and then show up for the dance. Everyone goes out on the floor and dances – more or less as individuals. They tend to sit out the slow dances or awkwardly find a partner and shuffle their feet as they “sort of” dance with someone and grin afterwards.
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do (Neal Sedaka 1967)
Down, dooby-do, down-down
Comma-comma, down, dooby-do, down-down
They say that breaking up is hard to do
Romantic pressure on high school teens hasn’t really changed. Breakups are miserable: the depression, the secondary damage to friendships, the drop in grades, even self harm or suicidal thoughts.
Romance is a highly visible part of life, but it comes with a steep learning curve. What is a grandparent to do?
First: think differently. God has put you in place to pass on your wisdom and faith to your grandchildren. Romance is an important topic in a teen’s world and Grandma may have some very helpful tips to share.
Second: pray specifically. Pray ahead. Pray for grace for whatever is to come. Pray for the right spouse at the right time in the right way.
Third: act strategically. Have a one-on-one conversation with your fifteen year old grandson that starts with, “Did I ever tell you about how I met your grandmother?” He may have assumed you were always married but will likely be interested in the story. Go on to talk about overcoming shyness, going through a break-up, dealing with emotions…and then finding the right woman to marry.
Think Differently. Pray specifically. Act strategically. If you are going to do grandparenting, do it grandly.
Mike Shaughnessy, the founder of Grandly, writes from personal experience, having been a youth and a youth worker.