My wife’s eldest son and his wife had their first child last night. His name is Henry. And I found myself wondering this morning, do grandchildren change everything?
Grandparents who are well on the other side of that divide will know better than I do. The experience is not even 12 hours old yet. But I am betting that it does.
We talk a great deal about future generations. But when we are young, life can feel like it is all about us. When we have children of our own, life can still feel like it is all about our generation, even if it is not just all about us.
But grandchildren have a way of changing everything.
It becomes clear that our own lives are a brief chapter — partly told, partly untold, understood, and misunderstood, begun and almost over, present and already past —- part of a much longer, larger story.
Grandchildren also have a way of populating that future. It is no longer an untold future of unnamed generations. It is a future into which Henry has already moved and will grow. And that makes it a future for which we feel far greater responsibility than we did yesterday.
The world might not be a different place than it was, but our sense of it has cdertainly changed.
Welcome, Henry.
Each delivery that I have attended or witnessed has been in the same vein. My own granddaughters (and that’s all I have at this point) have been the greatest joy in my life. I have enjoyed time with the soon to be 2 year old. I can be a child again and not have anyone look at me oddly…after all, life for a 5 year old (soon to be 6) is centered around drawing, clay, running through the sprinkler (which is my specialty) and dressing up. Life at Moo’s house (that’s my grandma name) is fun and games. We play when it’s bathtime; we make cookies and a big mess. We do all the fun stuff. When it snows (and it seldom does here in the deep south but we can only hope) we make snowmen and snowballs. Life is simple when you are a child, and it’s simple again when you are a grandma. Congratulations to all concerned…Prayers will be given for everyone! Moo (alias Pat)
Does Henry change everything?
YES
A year before Bill died Jesse Samuel arrived and he brought such joy to his grandfather. Bill had a sense that Jesse would grow up and be a wonderful man. His affirmations over Jesse when he was only an infant meant blessing Jesse. Bill told me several times he was disappointed that he would not be here on earth to participate in Jesse’s upbringing and to enjoy being with him. Although Jesse, too young to understand his grandfather was blessing him, God heard Bill and will carry out the blessings to fruition. The photos of Bill and Jesse Samuel get more precious day by day. Bill made a little toy for Jesse from his oxygen cord and he still plays with it today. Jesse sees his grandfather’s pictures around the house and proudly states: “That’s Granddaddy Bill. He lives in heaven with Jesus.” Perhaps one of the reasons Bill departed from us on earth was that he could be the protector of Jesse Samuel in the heavenlies. Won’t it be a grand reunion for them?
Grandchildren aren’t called “grand children” without reason!
YES, YES, YES -FRED – Henry makes all the difference!!!