A grandmother’s love

Local author chronicles experiences and embraces aging

BY SABRINA KAHWATY

“It’sa combination of my professional experience as an early childhood expert as well as my personal experience as a grandmother,” says author Judith Frizlen of her latest publication, Where Wisdom Meets Wonder: 40 Stories of Grandma Love. Released in September 2023, the book is a collection of vignettes chronicling experiences Frizlen— founder of Rose Garden Early Childhood Center in Buffalo—has shared with her grandchildren.

Like Frizlen’s previously published works, Unpacking Guilt: A Mother’s Journey to Freedom, Words for Parents in Small Doses, and Words for Teachers & Caregivers in Small Doses, Where Wisdom Meets Wonder draws upon her knowledge and highlights the importance of early childhood education. “Early childhood are foundational years of human development,” Frizlen says. “The young child learns through imitation, which calls upon adults to be worthy of it. When we do what’s best for children, we impact both the present and the future, harvesting the wisdom of experience while celebrating the wonders of childhood.”

Inspiration for the memoir came from Frizlen’s desire to share meaningful experiences she was having with her grandchildren.

“I started sharing stories with my husband, friends, and anyone who was willing to listen,” she says. “I realized that being an early childhood expert who became a grandmother provided me with unique perspective. By the time  the youngest was eighteen months old and his big brother was three, I started writing vignettes in a notebook at the kitchen table. When I met my goal of forty stories, I transferred them onto the computer.”

It took Frizlen six months to produce a manuscript, and another six months with her team—book coach, editor, designer, and illustrator—to publish, but it was joyful work. “I enjoyed writing the stories as much as experiencing them,” Frizlen shares. “It created a steady flow of joy which enlivened memories of precious moments with our grandchildren!”

While the book is focused on experiences with grandchildren, Frizlen thinks all adults can relate.

“I started writing the book to share the wonders of early childhood development that I was witnessing as a grandmother, [but] realized while writing that the book is not only about early childhood, but also about aging,” she says. “It’s about how we stay connected by sharing the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime of conscious living.”

In a youth-obsessed society, it can be hard to embrace aging. Frizlen advises focusing on what aging gives—wisdom, experience, and growth—instead of lamenting what it takes away. “When we pay attention to the benefits of aging, our hearts and minds stay open and our spirits young,” she says.

“We stay connected and relevant, sharing what we have learned. That’s what really matters.”

Who is the book for?

“Grandparents, parents who are looking ahead, and anyone who has had a special relationship with their grandparents,” says Frizlen. “I hope readers take away a feeling of comfort that comes from witnessing stories of intergenerational bonds and unfettered love, and courage to look forward to the benefits aging may bring.”

Where Wisdom Meets Wonder: 40 Stories of Grandma Love is available at Fitz Books and Waffles, Shopcraft, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

Sabrina Kahwaty is Executive Editor of Forever Young.