A Generous Lap: A Spirituality of Grandparenting

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

“Authentic and inspiring, with not a false sentiment in it—just 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.”—Michael Leach, author, Soul Seeing  

“This ‘spirituality of grandparenting,’ 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 generously—and to be open to such love in return. A beautiful weaving of story and scripture, this is Coffey’s poetic prose at its finest.”—Mary Stommes, founding editor, Give Us This Day  

In this charming and inspiring work, Kathy Coffey reflects on the spiritual dimensions of grandparenting—how 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: “God 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 ‘the child grows in wisdom, age, and grace,’ we get to marvel, and gradually grow into God’s 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, “Jesus Has a Sleepover with his Grandparents: Sts. Ann and Joachim,”

Cover design: Michael Calvente

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