Glam-ma's?

Really people?  I was cleaning up the kitchen this morning when lo and behold on the Today Show, there were two middle aged women who refused to be called "grandma".  They preferred names such as Noni, Ya-Ya, Nana, or even worse, "Glam-ma".

These women appeared to be very fit, dressed nice, took care of themselves and in no way looked "old".  Their reasoning was that their image of a grandma was someone who stayed in their house all day cooking and cleaning for grandpa, doing the laundry and knitting all day with their bi-focals at the end of their noses.  Those who wore moo-moos and house shoes.  And they didn't want to be out in public with their grandkids and someone (heaven forbid) call them grandma and then the people around them conjur up this pre-described image.  They even went as far as to say that before the baby is born, you should quickly meet up with the expectant parents and discuss what name you will be called.  By doing this, you can snag up the good nicknames before they are all taken!!!  REALLY??!?!?!

I hate to break it to ya, ladies --- if your children have children...YOU-ARE-A-GRAND.MA!!!!  Whatever the kids call you, you are still a grand.ma!  (It's different if you have a family tradition, or a cute little name comes out when you kids can't say grandma.) 

When my mother heard I was having a baby and she was not "old enough to have a grandchild", she never ONCE said, "I am too young to be called grandma",  (At least not to me, she didn't.)  Instead, she relished in the fact that now she would have a new little someone that she could spoil rotten, love to pieces, and shower with everything she had to give...and to be called Grandma. 

No matter how old or young you are, grandma is just a name.  Enjoy it!  As a friend's son just put it to me a few minutes ago, these woman are depriving themselves of the joy of being a grandma by being wrapped up in what the child should call them as to not make them sound too old. 

I have a vision of a grandma, and it certainly isn't the description from paragraph 1.  It's of someone who loves me, spends time with me, took care of me when I was younger (and still does, at times), drives to come visit me, goes places with me, loves me unconditionally, and doesn't judge me for how I look.  My daughter's vision of a grandma is a young, vibrant woman, who runs marathons, eats healthy, works hard and spoils her rotten.  Maybe these "glam-ma's" should focus more on their lifestyles by put a new, healthy image into their grandkids heads instead of worrying if they are still considered glamourous!