13 October 2016
I know you’re probably going to be good at math . . . pretty sure your dad was good at math in school . . . so there’s no doubt, by whatever age you’re at when you read this, that you’ve done the math. The math this time, however, doesn’t matter . . .
In March before you were born . . . I can’t recall the exact day though I wish I could . . . your mom was waiting for me when I got home. I knew something was up, but then she’s always had a flair for the dramatic . . . it could have been any number of things. At first she smiled, but then her face clouded up because she had some important news . . .
Four things came to my mind.
I won’t lie, but I want to preface this first thought with the fact that it was NOT . . . and this is really important . . . when the words came out of her mouth . . . my first thought was NOT “How did this happen?” or “Now what will we do?” The first thing that came to my mind was simply “How will your mom cope with being a single mother?” I walked that road, and it’s a tough one . . .
After the initial shock . . . and after she tried to assure me that your dad would . . . at the very least . . . be involved in your life . . . the second thing that came to my mind was “Good Lord, I’m going to be a grandmother!”
We talked for a long time . . . both of us laughing and crying at the same time . . . my third thought was “Wait . . . I’m not OLD enough to be a grandmother!” Now vanity does not really play a big role in my life . . . I’m 53 this year, and even though I’m shocked, every time I look in the mirror, that there is occasionally an unrecognizable woman looking back at me, I know that in my heart I’ll always have youthful memories and thoughts. I never understood my Grandmother Hahn’s insistence on holding on to the fact that she always felt like a young woman . . . she looked physically old yes, but in her mind she was still a teenager (I have a really funny story about that)! So, yes, the thought about not being old enough did cross my mind!
The fourth thing that came to mind was “A grandchild . . . I am going to have a grandchild . . . THIS is going to be an amazing journey!” Not only that . . . your arrival will make me a unicorn . . . for, like unicorns, grandmothers can be very magical creatures . . . I know mine were!
Kid, you will be emerging into a crazy, mixed-up world! You’ll arrive kicking and screaming! But you know what? You are going to be loved . . . loved by so many people who are anxiously awaiting your arrival . . . by a God more powerful than you can imagine . . . by a mom and dad who already think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to them . . . by a family of interesting characters . . . by a church full of people who will challenge and mentor you . . .
1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
I know you’re probably going to be good at math . . . pretty sure your dad was good at math in school . . . so there’s no doubt, by whatever age you’re at when you read this, that you’ve done the math. The math this time, however, doesn’t matter . . .
. . . what matters is that your world will soon be filled with love . . .
. . . because in the end, it’s really love that matters.
In March before you were born . . . I can’t recall the exact day though I wish I could . . . your mom was waiting for me when I got home. I knew something was up, but then she’s always had a flair for the dramatic . . . it could have been any number of things. At first she smiled, but then her face clouded up because she had some important news . . .
Four things came to my mind.
I won’t lie, but I want to preface this first thought with the fact that it was NOT . . . and this is really important . . . when the words came out of her mouth . . . my first thought was NOT “How did this happen?” or “Now what will we do?” The first thing that came to my mind was simply “How will your mom cope with being a single mother?” I walked that road, and it’s a tough one . . .
After the initial shock . . . and after she tried to assure me that your dad would . . . at the very least . . . be involved in your life . . . the second thing that came to my mind was “Good Lord, I’m going to be a grandmother!”
We talked for a long time . . . both of us laughing and crying at the same time . . . my third thought was “Wait . . . I’m not OLD enough to be a grandmother!” Now vanity does not really play a big role in my life . . . I’m 53 this year, and even though I’m shocked, every time I look in the mirror, that there is occasionally an unrecognizable woman looking back at me, I know that in my heart I’ll always have youthful memories and thoughts. I never understood my Grandmother Hahn’s insistence on holding on to the fact that she always felt like a young woman . . . she looked physically old yes, but in her mind she was still a teenager (I have a really funny story about that)! So, yes, the thought about not being old enough did cross my mind!
The fourth thing that came to mind was “A grandchild . . . I am going to have a grandchild . . . THIS is going to be an amazing journey!” Not only that . . . your arrival will make me a unicorn . . . for, like unicorns, grandmothers can be very magical creatures . . . I know mine were!
Kid, you will be emerging into a crazy, mixed-up world! You’ll arrive kicking and screaming! But you know what? You are going to be loved . . . loved by so many people who are anxiously awaiting your arrival . . . by a God more powerful than you can imagine . . . by a mom and dad who already think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to them . . . by a family of interesting characters . . . by a church full of people who will challenge and mentor you . . .
. . . by me . . .
. . . I never imagined I could love anyone as much as I loved my own children when they were born. . .
. . . and then there was you . . .
1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
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