You Don’t Have to Be Wise Before You’re Available

Grandparenting Today's Teens · Oct 15, 2026 · 11m

"You don't have to be wise before you're available."

When Mark Gregston's granddaughter Miley was 16, she texted him: "Hey Papa, can we get together for dinner, just us?" He wrote right back that the minute he was back in town, he'd take her wherever she wanted to go. She didn't want to talk about anything earth-shattering. The real question underneath her text was, "Am I valuable enough that you'd want to spend time with just me?" Mark got to answer it loud and clear: yes. One day Miley will call him about something hard and scary, and that conversation will only happen because he said yes…