We are still trying to absorb the concept of "grandparent," these kids aren't old enough are they? Neither are we. When the new little one arrived on the scene she changed us, moved us to a new status on the continuum. Wow, a big job for such a tiny and innocent being.
Some words from John O'Donohue "As a Child Enters the World":
As I enter my new family,
May they be delighted
At how their kindness
Comes into blossom.
Unknown to me and them,
May I be exactly the one
To restore in their forlorn places
New vitality and promise.
May the hearts of others
Hear again the music
In the lost echoes
Of their neglected wonder.
If my destiny is sheltered,
May the grace of this privilege
Reach and bless the other infants
Who are destined for torn places.
If my destiny is bleak,
May I find in myself
A secret stillness
And tranquillity
Beneath the turmoil.
May my eyes never lose sight
Of why I have come here,
That I never be claimed
By the falsity of fear
Or eat the bread of bitterness.
In everything I do, think,
Feel, and say,
May I allow the light
Of the world I am leaving
To shine through and carry me home.
Ooooh the blessing of a new girl in the family! Congratualtions! So happy for you and your family. I also love the names - thereʻs a beautiful old fashioned feel to them - are they family names? Grandparent is, to me, such a really special and important age and stage and role in family/society. Thereʻs continuity down the generations. My maternal grandmother, whose name I carry, lived with us on the farm by the time I arrived. I have very fond memories of the huge amount of time I spent in her cottage, where I learned oh! so much, which I come to value more each decade. Sometimes it feels like my grandmother walks still with me and inside of me every day, guiding me, helping me, talkign me through lifeʻs dramas. My son was a first born grandson of a first born so of a first born son etc going way back, on his fatherʻs side. He had a really valuable and special bond with that grandfather too . Blessings again, heapings of blessings!
ReplyDeleteAlthough not family names, they feel like a beautiful connection to the past. I too value the relationship I had with my grandmother even though she was prickly sometimes. She was a real influence on my life through her cooking, handcrafts, and stories. She lives on in the folded recipes, bits of thread in an old hat box, and china cupboard I inherited. When I unfold the paper, lift the lid on the box, or open the cabinet doors, she is by my side. I hope to build similar connections with little Vivian.
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