ISBN:9781626985315
Pages: 152
Binding: Softcover
A Generous Lap: A Spirituality of Grandparenting
By: Kathy Coffey
Overview
A Generous Lap encourages us to recognize how the relationship we share with our grandchildren is grounded in our own spirituality and offers the opportunity to be the spiritual models and wisdom figures we want to be for them"-Anne Kennedy, Tui Moi, November 2023, Issue 287
âAuthentic and inspiring, with not a false sentiment in itâjust lived experiences and insights about the opportunities and delights of being a grandparent. I can tell you that every grandparent would love receiving it as gift from their children or grandchildren.ââMichael Leach, author, Soul Seeing Â
âThis âspirituality of grandparenting,â as Kathy Coffey calls it, defies our stereotypical expectations about what it means to be a grandparent. Whether or not you have ever held a grandchild in your lap, this book will speak to your desires to love more generouslyâand to be open to such love in return. A beautiful weaving of story and scripture, this is Coffeyâs poetic prose at its finest.ââMary Stommes, founding editor, Give Us This Day Â
In this charming and inspiring work, Kathy Coffey reflects on the spiritual dimensions of grandparentingâhow this stage of life may expand our hearts, enlarge our humanity, put us in touch with fundamental aspects of our selves, and allow opportunities for a more generous and fruitful life.
She notes: âGod uses this period in human life to transform us. The most cantankerous, self-absorbed jerks suddenly discover a sweeter side. The stern start spoiling relentlessly. The introverts pull out the photos, cute sayings, and stories. Those who thought their physical ailments were paralyzing sprint after the toddler heading for the street or hoist aging bodies up the jungle gym when a grandchild quails at the terrifying steepness of the slide. As âthe child grows in wisdom, age, and grace,â we get to marvel, and gradually grow into Godâs loving self.
Kathy Coffey is author of sixteen books, including More Hidden Women of the Gospels and When the Saints Come Marching In. She has spoken at national conventions and many diocesan gatherings, and gives retreats and workshops nationally and internationally. She is the mother of four and grandmother of six. kathyjcoffey.com.
Cover art: Brother Mickey McGrath, OSFS, âJesus Has a Sleepover with his Grandparents: Sts. Ann and Joachim,â
Cover design: Michael Calvente