Dear readers: This flashback feature originally appeared on Grandma's Briefs July 1, 2014. As I'm missing my desert-dwelling grandsons today, it serves as a good reminder that there are at least fourteen things to celebrate about the long-distance grandma status. Thank you for reading this rerun.

Being a long-distance grandma can be hard on a grandmother's heart at times. There are, however, several perks to having plenty of miles between Grandma and her sweeties. Here are fourteen of them.

14 reasons to smile about being a long-distance grandma.jpg

FOURTEEN
Dates with friends or Grandpa are never canceled because Grandma is summoned to assist with a sick grandchildor cover for a sick Mommy.

THIRTEEN
There's nothing better than grandchildren sneaking into the guest room to crawl into bed with a visiting Grandma first thing in the morning.

TWELVE
Visits are a special event so the grandkids are always excited to see you.

ELEVEN
Grandchildren don't get tired of hanging out with Grandma. (Unless you—or they—overstay the visit, so visits must be planned accordingly.)

TEN
Long-distance grandmas can take pride in teaching grandchildren the importance of the United States Postal Service.

NINE
And the excitement associated with special delivery via UPS or FedEx.

EIGHT
Time together with grandchildren is in concentrated doses, meaning concentrated sessions of connecting and cuddling.

SEVEN
Parents don't drop by unexpectedly to ask Grandma to babysit "for just a few hours." Again.

SIX
Long-distance grandmas likely take more photos than local grandmas and hence have more to display, more to peruse for years to come.

FIVE
Long-distance grandmas' airline reward points likely add up more quickly than they do for local grandmas, too.

FOUR
Grandma's house rarely gets cluttered with toys, rarely has pointy Lego pieces strewn across the floor, awaiting an unsuspecting bare foot.

THREE
No need to stock the house with sweets and treats, which makes it easier for Grandma to keep her figure. (Or, more realistically, allows Grandma to stock the sweets and treats she prefers rather than Sour Patch Kids, Teddy Grahams, and Popsicles.)

TWO
The uninterrupted nap on Grandma's return flight home after a visit to see the grandkiddos is especially welcome, exceptionally warranted.

ONE
FaceTime is a billion times better—yes, a billion—when those precious little faces haven't been seen in a while. (Even when Grandma gets to see only portions of each precious little face at a time.)