What is your first memory of bonding with your grandchild, Leigh Anne?
I think I bonded with her at birth. I have a picture of me holding her only a little while after she was born, and my eyes and face were lit up like a Christmas tree. There was no feeling ever like it.
What makes your six-year-old granddaughter unique?
My granddaughter, Stella, is her own person and always has been. She knows what she wants and is determined to get it. Stella has her fashion/style and is very independent. I love her confidence because that is something so unique in our family. Most of us are people pleasers, but Stella speaks her mind and happens to be strong-willed. However, people gravitate to her because of her personality.
Does your granddaughter live nearby? If not, are you able to visit her often?
We are grateful that my daughter and her family live at the Waters in Pike Road. I see Stella at least 2 to 3 times a week, and then we get her to spend the night at least once a month. If I go a week without seeing her, that is rare.
What are your favorite things to do with Stella?
We love to go to the trampoline park (Skyzone), but she also loves to swim this time of year. She loves to go with me to the YMCA when I teach exercise classes and, of course, she helps me lead them. One of our favorite things is being at our house with her. She likes riding in her Dado’s truck. She likes to get in the back with a blanket and go around the cul-de-sac. Stella loves to keep things the same way we have done since she was little, and I love that she has all those fond memories.
What do you hope your granddaughter remembers most from her years with you?
I hope she remembers that she has always been loved and special. I hope she has memories that I was and will always be “her person.”
They say becoming a grandparent is the only thing in life that lives up to the hype. Would you agree and why?
Until I became a grandparent, I never understood the hype. My friends already had grandchildren and would always say it was the best. Now, I know a love like no other. You love your child, but a grandchild is just something different! She truly brings joy and happiness to Mike and me. Just thinking about her makes me smile.
What is the coolest/most interesting experience you’ve had with your grandchild?
We took a trip to my moms in northwest Alabama. Mom lives out in the country, and Stella can get out on the golf cart and go. She now knows how to drive it, and that’s all she wants to do. Also, there are goats, cows, donkeys, horses, etc. that belong to the neighbors. On the trip, she learned what a creek was and loved wading in the water and collecting rocks. Those memories are priceless!
Bio: Leigh Anne Richards has been married to Mike Richards for 44 years, and they have one daughter, Elizabeth Bethune, wife to Aaron and mom to Stella. Leigh Anne and Mike have lived in Montgomery for 25 years.
Kimberley Carter Spivey is a freelance writer, blogger, author, and entrepreneur. Her debut book Bloom: How to Get from Good Enough to a Life You Love can be purchased on Amazon and girlyouwrite.com.
