Turn Around.......Affairs of the Heart

When did this all happen? How did I go from raising my own kids, to waiting for the SIXTH one of theirs to be born? I am in awe of it all.

So much has been written about raising children. Book after book, expert after expert, and every talk show ever created, talking about what to do, how to do it, and so on. But as I sat in front of my computer, awaiting THE WORD that this little one had arrived, I chuckled to myself. There are few experts that tell you how to be a grandparent.

My kids turned out to be to be good adults. They are caring of others, compassionate, responsible, and loving. Every time I see them I know that, in spite of many mistakes, I was successful. However, I really could not say how it was done.

Watching my kids taking care of their children is remarkable. I see them doing some of the same things that I did when they were little. They tell me I was a good mom. But there is more to it…..there are differences in what they do with their kids…and those differences are better than what I did. I think they are more energetic, more forgiving, and much more adventurous than I was.

So, now, with the birth of this precious boy, I have 6 grandchildren, 4 girls and two boys. My daughter, Lisa, has two girls, Erin and Maia. My son, Reece, has Adeline and Addison. My youngest son, Joe, has Bethany and now, new baby, Mitchell.

I am their DAMMA. My oldest granddaughter, Erin, gave me this name. I like it…it is my special name….one that nobody else has.
The love I feel for them is all encompassing and unexplainable.

I always wondered how I would feel when the day arrived for grandchildren. I do not know why I was surprised to find that the day came and flowed as natural as water. Pure love unencumbered by ego. I thought I might have forgotten how to hold a baby...but my arms immediately remembered. There was no questioning our connection in space and time. And now there are six grandchildren......and I am Damma.

The joy of my grandchildren is measured in my heart. They remind me of what I am really here for. Believe it or not, life is easier if I have grandchildren walking beside me! Kind of like my dogs, they just accept me for who I am….

The gasps of astonishment, shrieks of pleasure, and uninhibited bursts of delight, lost long ago when my children grew wise and worldly are now given back to me by my grandchildren.

I look down at what seems to be the same small hands clutching mine, dragging me from one excitement to another. "Look Damma! Over here Damma! Look at me Damma! Come ON Damma!"

Small hands forever held......Damma loves you every day....