The Road of Life

I was going to continue where I left off last month but something sad and then wonderful happened. The sad thing happened yesterday. My cousin who was only 57 passed away. His mother called (my Aunt) to let me know. She was upset because this is the third child she has lost.

“I’m not supposed to outlive my children,” she cried.

What could I say? That is a mother’s worst nightmare. Instead I pointed out that she had six children and three may have gone Home (I like that term so much better than passed away or died) but three are still here and they would celebrate her life when the time (hopefully a long ways yet) came. And, when it did, her other three children would meet and help her back Home.

That was yesterday, a time to mourn.

Today was a time to celebrate life in a different way. It wasn’t one to remember but rather one to speculate, to wonder what could be as the possibilities are endless because the choices aren’t made yet. I wasn’t thinking of going Home and that I’d have to wait a lifetime to see my lost loved ones again. Rather the waiting was over and I got to greet a new life: my new grandson Liam David’s first breath, the beginning of his life here on Earth.

What joy! What love! This is what we, as romance writers write about (at least I do), the meeting of two people who overcome insurmountable odds in order to claim and then profess their love and undying devotion? And the result of that devotion: a child, a way we, as humans, live forever. Children are the future of our world so I am always happy when one is born, especially when it’s under bright circumstances as Liam is.

I will shelter him in love, spoil him rotten to the baby core, as that’s my job as grandma. In fact, I wrote a poem when my first grandson, Julian, was born ten years ago. Hard for me to believe that much time has passed but I, of all people, should know time flies! LOL! I wrote one for a boy - and for a girl. So far I’ve only used the boy version (I have 6 grandsons now) but I know I will one day use the girl version. I just have to be patient, my lesson in life it seems. Uhg!

I used the tune of Patty Cake, Patty Cake Baker’s Man.

Patty cake, patty cake, baby boy,

You’re Grandma’s little bundle of joy.

I love ya, and I hug ya and I kiss ya yessiree,

Then I send you home to Momma spoiled as rotten as can be!

As you can see I take this spoiling bit seriously. My Grandparents did it to me, my parent to my children and now it’s my turn. None of us, nor my children, turned out bad so there has to be something to it . . . as long as you temper it with loving guidance.

Sorrow and rejoicing. Ups and downs. Isn’t that what life is all about? I will mourn my cousin but I am joyful of the new life that entered the world today. May there always be a rainbow at the end of any trouble you face, just like there was for me.

Gotta go now. Time to spoil that boy so he smells!