LEGO® Love
by @meLacey 2009/02/13

Using his Christmas gift, a Blackberry, my grandson text-sent me the first really communicative message he has ever made to me.  He shared his feelings about LEGO ®.  His father had decided that he was too old for it, so gave his prized collections to his two younger brothers.  He was angry.  The younger brothers didn't seem to share the love and were careless with the sets.  Pieces were broken and many were missing.  He didn't feel too old for LEGO and still loved it enough to want to add to his collection.  Here are the words he wrote that touched at my heart:

…that's why I am mad and I still like lego I can't get off it when I see
lego in the store I get excited and want to buy it but I can't …

This was rare opportunity to open up and truly communicate with him.  In the past, there have been too few opportunities to speak privately with him.  I nervously responded.

Tell your dad that Grama said that you should be able to control those items that were given to you—a gift is not a gift if it is taken away at whim. Grama's first law of the universe is: Grama's rule all people whose blood runs through them and Grama's laws supersede all laws of the universe—even father's laws. If he wants to challenge the law then he has to debate all Gramas who are presently breathing in the world. He needn't bother because all Gramas have sister laws which say that all "sisters" must support one another in every law that teaches independence of thought and positive emotional and mental growth.

Ask, in a kindly, "I'm your strongest ally" voice, the following of your brothers, being careful to use a "good voice and attitude". (That is, remove all evidence or hint of anger.): while you respect the fact that they believed that they were given the LEGO pieces that indeed, the LEGO pieces were not given by you and while you appreciate the fact that they did not intend to hurt you, that you are indeed hurt and would very much like them to return all pieces to you as a birthday present. Remind them of the date of your birth; that should give them enough time to hunt out the missing pieces (please, would they?) and everyone should be happy. Unless of course, your father is upset, perceiving that I may be interfering. If he is, then he should contact me and we'll discuss and debate the universal laws of Gramas and fathers.

I like the fact that you are talking with me. You have made my day special.
love grama

He later wrote back to me thanking me for my advice and told me that his brother did indeed return some of the collection and promised that he would buy him another for his birthday that was coming up soon.  All was well, there were no grama/father debates and the grandson felt empowered and listened to.  He now texts me on a regular basis, sharing with me a few of his activities.  These communications hold great value to me.  I found the following

Robert Munsch poem that he wrote for Caleb. I substituted Caleb's name with my grandson's, "Damon" and here is the poem, I sent to him:

Damon likes Lego
And Lego likes him.
They play well together
With vigor and vim.
They cover the floor
And fill up the house
Till there's not even room
For a cat or a mouse.
His mother and father
do sometimes complain
That Damon likes Lego
And Lego's a pain.
But Damon is happy
And Damon is swell;
And if you like Damon,
Like Lego as well.

I'm stuck using an aged Nokia phone in a seemingly-endless Rogers Wireless Network outdated, pay-through-the-nose-for-texting contract.  When I see the too-busy-to-really-listen, must-multi-task generation texting their can't leave work messages which are probably shared jokes from their peers, I can't help it, I am envious.  I can't help it, for I need my grandson to know that I want to be there for him.  I get excited for a time that I can afford a state-of-the-art phone with an unlimited texting contract so that I can listen to whatever he needs to get off of his chest.  When I see the newest phone in the store I get excited and want to buy it but I can't …