By Donnell Suggs
The Caregivers is a unique series focused on the challenges and triumphs of caregiving. These stories have been created through a strategic partnership between AARP and Word In Black.
Cynthia Robinson’s seven-year old grandson, Chase, rode his bike to her house one brisk Monday afternoon. The 73-year old grandmother of two – her granddaughter Kayla is 17 years old – lives two houses down the street from her daughter and son-in-law, the children’s parents. She sees them every day, if not every-other day. Robinson goes to her grandson’s soccer games on Saturday mornings, and to her grand-daughter’s room to talk about life multiple times per week. While she is in their lives every day, during the COVID-19 pandemic, that has not been the case for many grandparents who live far away from their grandchildren.
Robinson said being so involved in the lives of her grandchildren “feels great, particularly during times like these,” but she understands not every grandparent is blessed with that much access.
“We were dealing with many different issues, but we still had each other,” said Robinson, a Tampa native, who grew up living with her grandmother. “I was her first grandchild so we were very close.”