WELCOME OLIVIA

 

Our great niece, Emily, is in the hospital…she was admitted yesterday…for the most wonderful of reasons…baby Olivia, is on her way…

If I was to give advice to Emily and Brandon…if I was to take the time…I’d put it in a poem…because advice sounds so much better in rhyme.

Yes, If I was to give advice…I would begin this simple rhyme

by telling them the best gift they could ever give Olivia…would be the simple gift of time.

I would tell them they could give her money and toys that move and dance and speak…but at the end of every day…time with them is the only gift all she seeks.

I would tell them it is in their eyes Olivia will find her self-esteem

and the more and more they believe in her…the more and more she’ll dream.

I would tell them it’s okay if Olivia fails…when she struggles or competes…that when she fails, for she will fail…be there…to help her back upon her feet.

I would tell them Olivia will experience good and bad from the moment her life begins…and to love her as much those times she loses…as they do those times she wins.

I would remind them when Olivia is young she needs parents; she doesn’t need a friend…and not to be afraid to tell her NO…it will help her in the end.

I would tell them Olivia will look to them for guidance…she will look to them for love…and, sometimes when she needs it…they can give her a little shove.

But, I’d tell them, not to push too hard…or to all of their dismay

they may think they’re helping…but they are pushing her away.

I would tell them to love Olivia unconditionally…that’s what parents do…If they can do that, no questions asked, then she will love them too.

I would tell them how fast Olivia will grow…how she’ll only be a child for a day…before life and its responsibilities snatch her childhood innocence away.

I would tell them I know they will be busy for a while…but if they should ever find the time…and they are seeking some advice…just refer back to this rhyme.

And now a final wish for Olivia…

your Mom and Dad are just learning how to be parents

and with them doing a little better every day…

may your life be a series of love stories you collect along the way.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNY

 In school when I was growing up while destiny and I were still determining my path…I leaned more toward reading and art…I was not interested in math.

Oh, the basic math I needed in life I was able to adopt…but here…when it came to math…is where my interest stopped.

For instance I didn’t need to amass a fortune…as my math and I agreed…I don’t need to have everything I want….as long as I have everything I need.

And when it came to birthdays…as each year I turned another page…I seldom knew how old I was…I let other people track of my age.

Yesterday we attended a birthday party for one of the last students I ever taught…when I saw Jenny sitting there I was overcome by this thought:

It was Jenny’s 30th birthday!…How can this possibly be…because…if Jenny is 30 years old…then how old does that make me?

I suddenly wondered how many years I’ve been walking down life’s path and I decided, against my better judgement…that I would do the math.

Let’s see…I was 62 when I retired…(I think I remember that number being on a sign)…it’s been seven years since then…that would make me…69!

No, that can’t be right…as usual my math has gone awry…I’m pretty sure that 69…for my age…is much too high.

Then I spied Jenny’s pink birthday cake and from my calculating…took a break…

because it’s impossible to work on a math problem…when staring at a cake. 

(I’m not sure I remember it correctly…and it would probably incur my elementary school teacher’s wrath…but I do believe what I just stated is one of the basic laws of math!)

My attention, instead, turned to Jenny and her family…I chose to watch them for a while…to relish in their moment…to enjoy the sweetness of her smile.

It seems to me…what gives a birthday its allure..its charm…its overall appeal…

Is the way it brings together not only how old we are…but….how young we feel.

Before I left I wished Jenny a happy birthday 

and her smile made the whole room glow…

as for figuring out my age…since I’m not that interested in the math…

I guess I’ll never know.

NEVER FADE AWAY

NEVER FADE AWAY

It was well over a year since Grandma died 

and whenever we visited Grandpa he’d give us quite a scare

because he would talk to Grandma…as if she was standing there.

Sometimes he would close his eyes and, on his face, a smile would crack,

as if he was listening to Grandma…and she was talking back!

At first we weren’t too concerned because we know how lonely Grandpa was

We’ve all felt the pain of loss…We know what sorrow does.

But it had been well over a year now and every time we returned

and watched him talk to Grandma…I admit…we were concerned.

One day we approached Grandpa as he sat in his favorite chair

and told him we we’re worried how he talks to Grandma…even though she isn’t there.

Grandpa smiled and said, “Don’ t worry family! I know your Grandma’s dead…but talking to her helps to keep her voice inside my head.

Talking to her throughout the day and dreaming of what she might say…keeps the memory of her voice alive…so it will never fade away.

Thank you for caring about me but there’s no need to worry.” Grandpa said

“Isn’t that right Grandma…then he closed his eyes and waited before smiling and nodding his head.

And from that day forward we never worried about Grandpa…never again felt sad or blue…because from that day forward we found ourselves talking to Grandma too.

It’s been well over a year now since Grandpa joined Grandma in heaven…and I talk to both of them almost every day…

ensuring the memory of their voices will remain in my head

never to fade away.

 

DREAM HOUSE REVISITED

 

While looking through an old picture album the other day (Yes! Picture albums still exist) nestled in the seams of one page…we found this old and weathered list.

As we opened it and began to read…the two of us were thrilled…that old list contained the items for the dream house we would build.

At the top of the list…of course…a bungalow was number one…not too big…but with enough room for our children to play and dream and run.

There was no timeline on our dream house list…no specific when…it was just a list of all the things we dreamed about back then.

As I sat there holding that old list of dreams within my hand…I realized we never built our dream house…life didn’t go quite the way we planned.

After we finished reading the list…that together we’d amassed…I gently folded it back up…then turned to Deborah and asked:

“Are you sad we never built our dream house…sad you may have missed…your chance to live in a house with all the items on our list?”

She closed her eyes and visited her memory for a while…before she returned the list to the album…squeezed my hand and smiled. 

“How can I be sad.” She said. “Though this is not our bungalow…this is the house we’ve raised three children in…and watched four grandchildren grow.”

“This house contains all the joys we’ve shared…all the sorrows we’ve overcome…this is the house that’s influenced who our children and grandchildren have become.”

“Yes, this list was never completed.” She said. “But it’s not as sad as that may seem…This might not be the dream house from our list…but it is our house of dreams.”

And I felt blessed she reminded me of something we both already knew…

that a dream house can be any house…where all your dreams come true.

BABY WISDOM

 

Mom! Dad! Hi, it’s me…your baby…here with 10 things I’d like you to know…10 simple truths that, if you follow them, will help each one of us to grow.

You’ll receive a lot of good and bad parenting advice…

you won’t always be able to tell them apart…

so the first thing I have to tell you….is trust yourself and follow your heart.

You’ll want to shower me with presents…but remember…the best gifts will never cost you a dime…wait!…present are okay with me…as long as you also give my your time.

Please…never call me stupid or I might end up feeling that way.

Protect me….keep me safe and warm…and our life will be happier that way

Don’t be alarmed if I get hurt…when I have a bruise…be there to soothe, nurse and numb it…remember your job is to help me experience and learn about life…not to shield me from it

Allow me to make my own mistakes…know in my life they will be interspersed…

It’s simple….if you want me to believe in myself…you must believe in me first.

I’m going to be a child for a while…be forgiving and patient with me…even those times I make it difficult for you to be the parents you imagined you’d to be.

Finally, remember to love me no matter what… it’s the last thing I need you to know

your love is something I always will need…it’s the one thing I’ll never outgrow.

So, Mom and Dad…there you have it…

10 things I’d like you to know…

at least I think that’s the right amount…

after all…

I was only born yesterday…

I haven’t yet learned how to count.

20/20

 

His eyesight was never 20/20…he’d worn glasses since he was three

but now, as he grew older, it was getting harder and harder to see.

They tried to make the best of this misfortune in their destiny…he said, “I guess my eyes have decided…they’ve seen all they want to see.”

“It’s not all bad.” She said, “accepting his embrace. “You’ll no longer be able to see all the wrinkles on my face.”

“And when you reach the point…where your eyes no longer see..when you need to find your way around…you can always lean on me.”

The old man smiled and said, “I will…and how lucky to be me…for I have so many things in life…I no longer need to see.”

“Take your love, for instance, it’s in everything you do and say…I no longer need to see it…when I feel it every day.”

“I don’t need to see your lips…once my eyes release their spark…for how often have I found them in the bedroom after dark?”

He took her face in his hands…he closed his eyes…he felt her tears

“Do now weep for me.” He said. “Save your worries…save your fears.”

“I may no longer see what’s in front of me…and though that seems unkind…I can still see within my memory every moment we left behind.”

As he gently felt her wrinkles…he said…I imagine there are some things I will miss…but but how can I be sad when I get to feel a face as beautiful as this?”

“When my eyes no longer see the light…I need you to understand…

I’ll still have 20/20 vision…only now…it’s shifted to my hands.”

“Your vision was never 20/20.” She smiled, “But if you’re going to use these hands to see…and they see the world half as good as your eyes did…that’s good enough for me.” 

THE SUNSHINE AND THE RAIN

 

Is it possible to truly appreciate joy in life…

without having experienced her sorrow?

Is it possible to relish in her happiness…

unless we’ve also felt her woe?

Doesn’t all life have its peaks and valleys…

its pleasure and its pain?

For what is it that makes the flowers beautiful…

if not the sunshine 

and the rain?