It's My Job

Last night I was allowed the opportunity to hold my newest grandson for 30 minutes. He was still attached to the monitors, but most of the tubes were out, so I bundled him close and just talked quietly to him for a full 30 minutes. Most of the time he pretended to sleep, but I know he was listening. And he had to feel my heart thudding against his little "Spock" ear. He would occasionally stretch or draw in a little, I'm sure he was still sore from the surgery and the removal of his drain tube, but he and I got to visit for a bit. It was a moment where I got to put in a good word for his mom and dad, where I encouraged him to keep getting better and get out of there, where I told him what a fine young man he is going to become. But mostly, I jut held him and started the very strenuous task of spoiling him as only a grandaddy can.

I have decided that God built into his men the capacity to expand the devotion and spoiling factor for the men he chooses to be grandaddies. It is like some strange spring in our lives that just flows as new grand kids come along. The well-spring is activated by the tiny clasp of baby fingers around the weathered old fingers of their grandaddies (my kids refer to my hands as "cat pad" hands, but they don't complain when those hands hug and hold) When my oldest grandson was born I wondered if I would feel the same deep devotion to subsequent grandchildren. How can the heart expand to include them all in such a way? Surely I can only feel this deeply about the first one. But, to my surprise, that is not the case. Each one brings out this same feeling. Eli was first and is special to me in so many ways, Phoebe came along and won us all over with her love of life and food and apparently being photographed, now little Lincoln has caused us such anguish over his surgery, but we have all laughed at his little "worry" lines, I suspect he will be a serious child, but I love him and the others so.

And what of the ones to come? I know that, instead of pushing the others aside, they will build their own special place in my heart and my world. It doesn't matter if they are boys or girls, in the near future or distant, they will find their way into my life, deepening my prayers and causing me joy and tears and worry and fun and contentment with the decisions of my life that brought all this together.

It occurred to me that spoiling my grandchildren may the one thing that I am truly good at. My oldest daughter has told us that when she leaves her little ones with us it takes a week to "de-program" them when she gets them home. I can't tell you how proud I am of that accomplishment. That means I have done my job and done it well.

Godspeed to all there who are "spoilers" We have a big job to do, but are up to it.
Don