Arvid and Ruth Loewen became grandparents of nine boys in 4 ½ short years. It was a whirlwind of activity and then the arrival of two girls, one adopted, the other a long-term foster granddaughter. They could not be happier.
Canadian Grandparents talked with them about how grandparenting for them has changed as kids get older.
Maintaining Grandparent Values
From being a small child in South America who excelled at soccer to a grandfather who holds two Guinness World Records in cycling, Arvid believes in staying active and serving others. Ruth grew up in Manitoba in a family that shared those values. It is important to both of them that their grandchildren see those values consistently in their grandparents’ lives as they grow up.
Staying Active
At age 38, Arvid started cycling to challenge himself.
In July 2011, he broke the Guinness World Record riding across Canada in 13 days, 6 hours and 13 minutes and established grandpascan.com chronicling his rides. On July 30, 2020, Arvid broke his second Guinness World Record, this time for the farthest distance cycled in a month at 11,617.99 km.
Because Arvid started his cycling career before his grandchildren were born, they only know him as “Cycling Grandpa”. Each of Arvid’s cycling t-shirts has a picture of his grandchildren.
His grandchildren have become an endearing part of his rides. “I mean it doesn’t get any better than when they all stand on the side of the road and they are lined up for me to give them their high fives,” Arvid says. “It’s just wonderful.” When they were old enough, they would even ride the last kilometer with him on their own bikes.
While none ride competitively, all of their grandchildren ride their bikes everywhere in the summer including to their place for dinner on the weekends. Arvid says, “It’s quite the sight to see when all of them arrive. There are a lot of bikes.”
Grandchildren’s support as the chapter ends
Arvid will compete for the last time this summer winding down his 26-year cycling career. Arvid and Ruth aren’t sure how their grandchildren will react when they see him actually step back from cycling as it is all they know.
As Ruth explains, “They have all witnessed times when Grandpa has difficulty walking due to his knee and they acknowledge that he can no longer ride the distances he previously did. But Grandpa cycling across the country has become the ‘norm’ for our family. So much so that when one of their peers saw the Guiness World Record certificate and was in awe of what this grandpa had done. It is endearing to see the grandsons react nonchalantly with, ‘Yes, that is my Grandpa.’”
Serving others
As cool as the Guiness World Record certificates are, the grandchildren are very aware of the WHY Grandpa does this.
In 2005, Arvid and Ruth partnered with the Mully Children’s Family, the Biggest Family in the World/ In a unique ride across Canada that year, children from the organization rode with him on his tandem bike. During the last 20 years, they have raised over 12 million dollars for Mully Children’s Family.
For both Arvid and Ruth, it is important that grandchildren see the cycle of commitment – fundraising for Mully Children’s Family through cycling, seeing how the money helps street children in Africa; welcoming the children helped into their grandparents’ home in Winnipeg, Manitoba; and their grandfather continuing the fundraising efforts either through his ultra-marathon rides or speaking engagements throughout Canada. He considers their enthusiasm for his cycling passion and his commitment to the Mully Children’s Family a true gift.
With their family being involved in the foster care system and their children’s career choices of working in the inner city and with the homeless, their grandchildren are growing up with an awareness of the less fortunate. As Arvid points out, “They are being taught that life is not about accumulating for oneself and that life’s greatest meaning is found in living it for others. We are very realistic knowing that they are still young but our hope and prayer is that these lessons will go with them in life and that they will live their lives to make a difference.”
Helping their grandchildren learn
Arvid and Ruth take opportunities to help their grandchildren relate to stories and situations so they learn. Ruth explains, “Our grandchildren have new students in their schools, with many having come from Ukraine in recent years. At a recent school assembly honouring these students, some of them shared their story with the entire school. When I asked our grandsons if these new immigrants were able to share in English or whether they required a translator, they said that some could already communicate well enough in English while some required a translator.
I then went on to explain that it was exactly at this stage in life (age 13) that Arvid (Grandpa) immigrated to Canada with his family from Paraguay and with not one word of English. He was thrust into an English school in grade 8, the very same school our grandsons attend. The grandsons had a new glimpse into some of the challenges Grandpa faced at their age. Suddenly their challenges didn’t seem so overwhelming!”
Consistency has led to collaboration
Arvid and Ruth wanted to show their children that being active no matter your age is more fun than watching TV. Every year, Arvid transforms their 52′ x 230′ yard into a hockey rink. The grandkids are free to invite their friends and friends’ families. In one year alone, they enjoyed having 629 people/visits, some coming multiple times.
When the grandchildren were young, Arvid and Ruth organized the activities. Now as the grandchildren have gotten older, they are organizing their own fun. Now they invite their friends over for ‘3 on 3’ hockey games – switching between ice time and hot chocolate and cookies on the deck. One parent recently shared that their son does not really enjoy winter, but coming to play hockey here is the highlight of the season for him. Those kinds of comments make it so worthwhile!
The gifts that have not changed
The Loewen family is close-knit, loving their time together and sharing laughter. The congeniality of that family dynamic will never change but sometimes the outcomes will. Ruth smiles when she admits that, for the first time, her grandson finally beat her at arm-wrestling, an endearing competition she has enjoyed since the grandchildren were small. Also, she admits that they are also getting taller than her. “It’s not hard to do since I am only 5’4,” Ruth laughs. “But grandchildren getting taller than us pull on the heartstrings. The little grands we loved to cuddle on our laps aren’t so little anymore.”
As their grandchildren have grown older, there is one gift they both cherish and don’t want it to ever change. “Hugs” and all the little things they do together.
They both know that the fact that all their grandchildren live just three or four kilometres from their home is a true gift. They know they are blessed to have them so close and enjoy the almost daily interaction with them in some way.
www.grandpascan.com
