As a new grandpup- and grandkitten-ma, I am enjoying the first and very four-legged reminders of how essential grandparents are to a family and how we must all be ready to embrace this important role as we age.

I know. Having a grand dog and cat aren’t really the same. But there are similarities, so don’t steal my joy! Saying yes, investing time, developing special bonds and demonstrating unconditional love are the special traits of good grandparents, no matter the species! This is a proven fact, and Orca whale grandmothers are a fascinating example. Like human grandparents they:

• Take on leadership roles in the pod and use their experience to guide younger family members
• Increase the survival rate of their grand-orcas by sharing and caring for tthem
• Strengthen family bonds by playing a stabilizing role in the pod
• Help moms with caregiving and guidance, which supports family success

So, whether your charge has a tail that wags or fins that flap, being a grandparent is — well, it can be grand! And science supports it, so there.

I am excited to embrace this role because I have pockets full of fantasy about what kind of grandparents my parents would have been and I am determined to manifest them. My mom died when I was 20. My dad, though a very sweet, loving and generous grandfather, was a single dude doing very single dude living during our time with him and as such, was not as consistently on the grand-dude scene. This deficit, however, was overshadowed by the relationships I relished with the grands in my life. My paternal grandparents Bob and Clint Person, especially Grandmother, validated the importance of presence, support and love while my maternal grandparents, Woodsy and Bobbie Harper, established the importance of family, time together and generosity. Bonus, I also grew up with my great grandmother Pennye Person, and she showed me grandparents can be funny, gritty and huggable — even when you’re 101 and deaf! Today, I am priming my grand greatness by being a yes-grandma and babysitter to grandpup, Fin, and a warm lap and enabler for my wild-eyed torty grandkitten, Bean. It’s such an honor.

In case you need to hear it again, being a grandparent is an important role and helps strengthen families for generations. It’s something to embrace and take seriously as we age. If we are fortunate enough to have grandchildren, we know that the investment of good grandparenting can yield tremendous returns including:

• Emotional support and stability for all
• The passing down of family values, culture and identity
• Financial reinforcement
• Role modeling for lifelong learning and loving
• Extended support network for parents
• Emotional and social development
• Strengthened family bonds
• A legacy of love and wisdom

Investing time and effort as a grandparent has a ripple effect, positively influencing not only our immediate family, but also future generations of our tribes. Plus, its magical and can have an orb effect. Check out this photo of my grandmother Bobbie and me 24 years before the photo above was taken:

Grandparent love is a galactic blast from the heavens! So, when it’s our time to let our G-freak flag fly, let’s make like the Orca whales and splash it out of the water with our grandparenting greatness.