Dear Grandson,
I know you’re only a few weeks old right now, so you probably won’t understand much of this. But maybe when you get a little older you will read this and have a better idea of what I’m trying to say.
You see, you are only the third person in my entire life who I loved intensely even before I met you. The other two people are your mom and your auntie. Of course, there are many other people I love, including your Grammy Joy-Joy, but I didn’t love them until after I got to know them. You are different, little one. The minute I heard that your mom was expecting, I fell in love with you. And then when I finally saw you in the flesh and held you in my arms about a week after your birth, I just melted. Love is indeed, as the song says, a many-splendored thing. (Pop quiz: who else, besides me, thought the word was “splendid”? Thank you, Google.)
I know you’re only a few weeks old right now, so you probably won’t understand much of this. But maybe when you get a little older you will read this and have a better idea of what I’m trying to say.
You see, you are only the third person in my entire life who I loved intensely even before I met you. The other two people are your mom and your auntie. Of course, there are many other people I love, including your Grammy Joy-Joy, but I didn’t love them until after I got to know them. You are different, little one. The minute I heard that your mom was expecting, I fell in love with you. And then when I finally saw you in the flesh and held you in my arms about a week after your birth, I just melted. Love is indeed, as the song says, a many-splendored thing. (Pop quiz: who else, besides me, thought the word was “splendid”? Thank you, Google.)
I have no experience at being a Grampy (but plenty of practice at being a Grumpy). However, I’m pretty sure my main duty as grandfather is to spoil you rotten, and then hand you back to your parents and let them deal with the aftershocks.
Hopefully, I can do a bit more in my grandfatherly role than just give you mini Snickers bars when your mom’s not looking and watch Red Sox games on TV with you. Maybe I also can impart a little wisdom, too, such as teach you how to throw a curveball.
Little grandson, you were born in a very interesting time in history. When you look at your baby photos years from now, you’ll notice that almost everyone is wearing a mask. I pray that when you look at those photos, mask-wearing will not have become the new normal. (I also pray that people will stop using the tedious phrase “new normal” by then, especially me.)
Hopefully, I can do a bit more in my grandfatherly role than just give you mini Snickers bars when your mom’s not looking and watch Red Sox games on TV with you. Maybe I also can impart a little wisdom, too, such as teach you how to throw a curveball.
Little grandson, you were born in a very interesting time in history. When you look at your baby photos years from now, you’ll notice that almost everyone is wearing a mask. I pray that when you look at those photos, mask-wearing will not have become the new normal. (I also pray that people will stop using the tedious phrase “new normal” by then, especially me.)
Some folks say planet Earth is so messed up these days that it’s not right to bring a child into this world. But you could make that argument about every moment in history. For example, when I was born in the late 1950s, the Cold War was on the verge of becoming hot, and people feared a nuclear war would break out at any moment. Those who were born during World War II came into an even more treacherous world. And what about the Flu Pandemic of 1920? Or the Civil War of the 1860s? Or all the various plagues and wars and natural disasters that have occurred?
The point is, during every moment human beings have been alive, people could make the case that it was a bad time to bring a child into the world. But this viewpoint is, and always will be, wrong for one simple reason: life is a beautiful and precious gift from Heaven. A new life, especially one you’re related to, fills you with joy and love and hope. How else can you explain falling in love with someone you haven’t even met yet? The sensation took me by surprise for the first time over three decades ago. I suspect your parents are amazed by it now. It’s quite a treat for me to feel it all over again so many years later.
The point is, during every moment human beings have been alive, people could make the case that it was a bad time to bring a child into the world. But this viewpoint is, and always will be, wrong for one simple reason: life is a beautiful and precious gift from Heaven. A new life, especially one you’re related to, fills you with joy and love and hope. How else can you explain falling in love with someone you haven’t even met yet? The sensation took me by surprise for the first time over three decades ago. I suspect your parents are amazed by it now. It’s quite a treat for me to feel it all over again so many years later.
If people have never experienced the phenomenon of falling in love with someone they haven’t met yet, nothing I can say will make them understand. And if they have experienced it, nothing needs to be said.
God bless you, little grandson. I look forward to being a part of your formative years. Just don’t tell your mom about the mini Snickers bars, OK?
God bless you, little grandson. I look forward to being a part of your formative years. Just don’t tell your mom about the mini Snickers bars, OK?
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