The
last year has been a whirlwind. We moved from Boulder, CO, to Lakewood, CA, and
our grandson was born. He recently had his first birthday—a time to reflect
over his first year. My wife and I were in the delivery room, and I have seen
him almost every day since. When our daughter went back to work after her
maternity leave, we became primary child care during the week. Rather than a
burden, this turned out to be a joy. As I mentioned to my wife, I know my
grandson better at this age than I did any of our three kids at this age
because I was working full time when our kids were born and now I’m retired.
So
what have I learned this last year? Plenty. I hope I have helped our grandson
develop, but what follows are some of the lessons he has taught me.
Value
of a Smile
Our
grandson has a huge smile. Sure he has his grumpy moments, but most times when
he wakes up from a nap or greats us at the door, he gives us a
grandparent-heart-warming smile. And he isn’t faking it. He’s a happy kid who
likes to share his happiness. He has taught me that greeting life with a smile
is preferable to being a grump.
2 comments:
I love this, Mike. And your story is a great one for all of us to remember. I know that just one smile from a stranger can lift my spirits if I'm down in the dumps, so I try to spread my smiles around every chance I get. You never know who might need one.
Pat, Absolutely. It makes a huge difference
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