But today, their driveway is empty. And I’m finally full.
I’m 64 years old. In this country, they tell us retirement is for relaxing, for travel, for “finding yourself.” But for many of us American grandparents, retirement just means switching from a paid 9-to-5 to an unpaid 24/7.
I am the “Default Grandma.”
I’m the one who navigates the terrifying school pickup line, dodging giant SUVs to get the kids safely in the car. I’m the one who sits in the humid waiting room during karate practice because both parents are working late to pay the mortgage. I’m the one who knows that Leo is terrified of thunderstorms and that Sophie needs exactly two ice cubes in her water or she won’t drink it.
I am the infrastructure of their lives. Silent. Reliable. Invisible.
Then there is “Gigi.”
