Reflections of greatness talking to great-grandparents

My two sons have a great advantage -- literally.

All my grandparents are alive and well. The Wife's grandmothers also remain active, though their husbands have passed away. That's a total of six great-grandparents for baby Bubba and little Peter.

It's a rare thing to have so many great-grandparents, and I found myself reflecting a bit this week. I wondered what it's like to be a great-grandma or great-grandpa. How is it different from being a grandparent?

I could ask my grandparents. Though I doubt they'd tell me the downside, if there were any. Instead, I visited Smith Crossing in Orland Park. The retirement community hosts a happy hour every Friday.

The great-grandma-torium was buzzing as I arrived that afternoon. (Perhaps from the booze.) It wasn't hard to find a few great-grandparents in the lobby. They were eager to brag about their families.

John "Jack" Dakes, 81, said being a great-grandpa is largely the same as being a grandpa. He has four great-grandsons and recalled the day the first was born.

Dakes worked in labor relations and arrived at the office glowing from the news. With a smile he couldn't wipe off his face, he walked into a heated meeting and quickly settled a union grievance.

"It's terrific," Dakes said of being a great-grandpa.

Alice Lyzak, 83, was the most forthcoming. She has a 3-year-old great-granddaughter.

"I saw my grandchildren very often. I see my great-grandchild only sometimes," Lyzak said.

This is largely due to her age. As a grandma, she frequently baby-sat her grandchildren and could chase them around the house. Now, she doesn't have the same amount of energy.

"Being a grandmother, that was the highlight," Lyzak said.

Norma Micheletto, 85, has three great-grandchildren.

She agreed with Lyzak, saying age restricts her from certain activities with the little ones. She also said it can be difficult to describe her relationship to a toddler.

"They don't understand what a great-grandma is, so they call me 'Nonna.' That's grandma in Italian," Micheletto said.

Carol Burton, 81, has six great-grandchildren. She still baby-sits for two of them.

"They (great-grandchildren) are a whole different deal than my kids or my grandchildren," Burton said, adding that today's kids tend to watch more television.

Her 6-year-old great-grandson is particularly inquisitive and demands immediate answers. Maybe it's the instant gratification of the Internet or just the changing times, but she's noticed a difference.

"I think the kids nowadays, they seem to be smarter," Burton said.

Dick Corrigan, 75, has a great-granddaughter. He and his wife, Mary, were at the hospital when she was born five years ago. Mary died one year later.

"My wife was really excited about it, and anything that made her happy made me happy," Corrigan said.

Not everyone is around long enough to see a third generation of their family. It's an achievement that can only be described as great.

Howard Ludwig is a former business writer who traded his reporter's notebook for a diaper bag, becoming a stay-at-home dad.