NGSD

[sparquelito]

Congratulations!!

Such a handsome lad!

 

 

When my granddaughter was born eleven years ago, I got the word via telephone, and my wife and I flew down to Melbourne, Florida at a high rate of speed.

 

We had been down to Florida for the baby shower a few months earlier, and there was a lot of fear and trepidation.

My daughter was in a sketchy relationship with the baby's father, and there was no solid belief that they would ever marry and be 'mom and dad' to this little girl.

The only sure knowledge was that my daughter Joanie was committed to being a good mommy.

(And she still is, to this day.)

 

On the flight down to Orlando, I thought a lot about the circle of life.

My mom had died just recently, and we all missed her terribly.

Mary Sparkman was a good and solid woman, and she had taught me the love of good books, and of writing and truth-telling.

 

She had been a juvenile tuberculosis patient up in West Virginia all those years ago, and had been parked in a sanitarium to ostensibly die, as was the situation with most kids in the late 1940's.

Somehow she lived, though, and went on to work in the very hospital where she recovered, and became a lifelong lab technician.

 

My mom raised us four Catholic kids right, and we all learned the value of good cooking, good English, and easy laughter.

 

When she died so many years later, it was a horrible ending, and my mother struggled for every torturous breath, until she final shook off this mortal coil.

She deserved better, we all thought.

But that his how life is sometimes.

 

Beth and I got to the Melbourne hospital, and found mother and daughter in their recovery room.

Both girls were beautiful and pink-skinned.

The baby-daddy was there, though he would not be around for long.

 

Beth held her granddaughter first, and rocked her in her arms.

The sweet little child was wrapped in a tiny hospital blanket, and she seemed so very small.

 

I kissed my daughter on the forehead, and told her how proud I was of her, and what a great mommy she was going to be.

She and I have always been close, and she has truly been my best friend ever.

 

It came time for me to hold my granddaughter Ashley.

I took that tiny bundle from my wife, and held her high on my chest.

I rocked her, and chatted her up.

I told her what a good girl she was, and what a wonderful life she had to look forward to.

 

I don't know what I said, but something seemed to crack that little girl up.

Her tiny chest was briefly wracked with impish joy, and her little toothless smile erupted for the first time in laughter.

 

And for that one brief moment in time, she looked exactly like my mother.

 

I could see in her every bit of joy and laughter and wonderfulness that had been her great-grandmother, and I knew that the DNA of goodness was in her.

 

I burst into tears.

 

Beth came over and said, "Oh my goodness, what has gotten into you, Granddad?"

 

I couldn't speak.

I just sniffed and choked back a sob, and kissed that little baby girl on the forehead.

 

She had my mom in her chromosomes, and I was certain that none of us were ever going to let her down, and her future was bright and good.

:P :( :)

 

Here (below) is a photo of me with my daughter Joanie and my granddaughter Ashley, from just last month.

We were at a family reunion down in Destin, Florida.

 

 

[Retired]

1465316818[/url]' post='1775985']

Glad you posted a pic so we weren't obliged to say "pics or it didn't happen."

 

Congratulations!

Now this made me really laugh. Thanks for the photo and congratuations. Very cute. Our 18 month old grandson already knows what a guitar is. Start him off when they learn to walk. Enjoy!

[kidblast]

Congratulations!!

Such a handsome lad!

 

 

When my granddaughter was born eleven years ago, I got the word via telephone, and my wife and I flew down to Melbourne, Florida at a high rate of speed.

 

We had been down to Florida for the baby shower a few months earlier, and there was a lot of fear and trepidation.

My daughter was in a sketchy relationship with the baby's father, and there was no solid belief that they would ever marry and be 'mom and dad' to this little girl.

The only sure knowledge was that my daughter Joanie was committed to being a good mommy.

(And she still is, to this day.)

 

On the flight down to Orlando, I thought a lot about the circle of life.

My mom had died just recently, and we all missed her terribly.

Mary Sparkman was a good and solid woman, and she had taught me the love of good books, and of writing and truth-telling.

 

She had been a juvenile tuberculosis patient up in West Virginia all those years ago, and had been parked in a sanitarium to ostensibly die, as was the situation with most kids in the late 1940's.

Somehow she lived, though, and went on to work in the very hospital where she recovered, and became a lifelong lab technician.

 

My mom raised us four Catholic kids right, and we all learned the value of good cooking, good English, and easy laughter.

 

When she died so many years later, it was a horrible ending, and my mother struggled for every torturous breath, until she final shook off this mortal coil.

She deserved better, we all thought.

But that his how life is sometimes.

 

Beth and I got to the Melbourne hospital, and found mother and daughter in their recovery room.

Both girls were beautiful and pink-skinned.

The baby-daddy was there, though he would not be around for long.

 

Beth held her granddaughter first, and rocked her in her arms.

The sweet little child was wrapped in a tiny hospital blanket, and she seemed so very small.

 

I kissed my daughter on the forehead, and told her how proud I was of her, and what a great mommy she was going to be.

She and I have always been close, and she has truly been my best friend ever.

 

It came time for me to hold my granddaughter Ashley.

I took that tiny bundle from my wife, and held her high on my chest.

I rocked her, and chatted her up.

I told her what a good girl she was, and what a wonderful life she had to look forward to.

 

I don't know what I said, but something seemed to crack that little girl up.

Her tiny chest was briefly wracked with impish joy, and her little toothless smile erupted for the first time in laughter.

 

And for that one brief moment in time, she looked exactly like my mother.

 

I could see in her every bit of joy and laughter and wonderfulness that had been her great-grandmother, and I knew that the DNA of goodness was in her.

 

I burst into tears.

 

Beth came over and said, "Oh my goodness, what has gotten into you, Granddad?"

 

I couldn't speak.

I just sniffed and choked back a sob, and kissed that little baby girl on the forehead.

 

She had my mom in her chromosomes, and I was certain that none of us were ever going to let her down, and her future was bright and good.

:P :( :)

 

Here (below) is a photo of me with my daughter Joanie and my granddaughter Ashley, from just last month.

We were at a family reunion down in Destin, Florida.

 

 

 

beautiful family man.

 

thanks for sharing.