A New Gift

Each new year, it’s fun to start off with something new. A new dress, a new pair of shoes. This year, I start with the gift of a new baby. My beautiful granddaughter arrived December 9th and we were thrilled to finally meet her on Friday the 23rd-just two days before Christmas. What a gift!

No, I don’t think I’ll be exchanging this gift. She’s perfect. Ten beautiful fingers, ten beautiful toes, two amazing eyes, and a perfect little nose. She looks just the way that I hoped she would. Gorgeous! And she’s the right size, too! Small enough to squeeze into my carry-on luggage when I try to smuggle her away from her parents! While I’ll admit that I was terribly tempted to try the whole smuggling thing, I passed on the opportunity!

But I did spend some time with my new gift before, during, and after Christmas. I must admit that this particular gift was one that I couldn’t take my eyes off of, and one that I just wanted to hold and look at. Barbra Streisand sings a holiday song called “The Best Gift.” It’s about the best gift being a new born child, and she’s absolutely right!

Now with every gift at the New Year come resolutions about its proper use. I plan to “use” my gift as often as I possibly can. I’ll use her to play games with, to read to, and to talk to. I’ll certainly take lots of pictures of my new gift. In fact, I’ve taken quite a few already. Then there will be quiet times with my new gift when I will just hold her and cuddle her. I have so much to look forward to!

This gift will also be used in another way as I watch my granddaughter’s mother. I think that those moments might be an even more precious gift; watching the little girl whom I raised to raise her own.

When my daughter laughs out loud because her daughter smiles or does something silly -that will be a gift for me. I’ll remember the times when she and I did the same things. I’ll recall how her hair smelled when I drew her into my arms for a big hug. Reliving those special moments through my own daughter’s eyes will be a real gift.

When I watch my daughter tuck her precious one into bed, I’ll celebrate my gift. I’ll know that my baby is experiencing the joy of motherhood. In those brief moments, I’ll recall my own wonder as I watched my babies sleep; the peaceful breathing, and the look of contentment.

So my gift will be quite special in the coming year. I know that she will bring me the same joy all year long that she did that morning I first laid eyes on her. The bonus of my gift will be sharing the joy of motherhood with my own daughter. The miracle of birth, the miracle of a mother’s love, the best gift of the year to me!

The Great Anticipation

Even though she wasn’t due to arrive until December 15th, our little princess decided to make her debut a bit early and appeared on the 9th. Our plans had been made to meet her on the 22nd, and due to some prior commitments, we decided not to change our original plans.

The morning of the 22nd, I was filled with great anticipation! I could not wait to see her face, to touch her hand, to hear her voice. But the fates would not allow us to easily reach our goal.

Due to board a 12:55 flight to Detroit, we were arrived at the gate only to find out that the flight had been delayed. Finally, taking the two last seats on the plane, we stowed our bags and took our seats. I anxiously looked at my watch several times. What could be delaying us?

It was then that the captain came on the PA system and announced that we were “overweight.” Too much fuel had been loaded on the aircraft. The solution was to burn off some fuel on the tarmac. So we sat and sat while the engines revved and revved. Finally, after almost two hours, we took off. We arrived too late for our connecting flight to Amsterdam and had to take a later flight. The time just crawled by!

Finally, we boarded the plane, only to find out that our departure would be delayed by thirty minutes because of an airport curfew. I kept thinking that my baby girl would be finishing her first year of college before I ever saw her!

I slept a few hours on the flight, too anxious and too excited to really rest. As soon as I could, I called my daughter after we landed. She said that the baby had had a rough night and that they were in the midst of a feeding, would it be possible for us to take the train to Amersfoort! Another delay!

We bought our train tickets and waited for what seemed like an eternity for the train to arrive. The forty minute train ride felt like it took forty days. My son-in-law met us at the end of the train platform and led us to their parked car. No baby, and no daughter. They were back at the house. Bram told me it was less than a ten minute car ride to the house, but it seemed like ten hours.

As he pulled up to the curb in front of the house, I don’t even think he had the keys out of the ignition, I was out of the car and on my way to the front door!

I rang the bell, and then impatiently went to look in the front window. There she was nestled on a baby cushion sleeping soundly--the most beautiful sight in the world.

My daughter opened the door, and I pushed her aside as I very sweetly said, “Oh, hello.” I was on a beeline to the living room and that beautiful child. As soon as I touched her the floodgates broke loose. I swept her up in my arms and kissed her beautiful little cheeks at least a hundred times. The anticipation of the holiday, the anticipation of the great joy it brings…yeah, I felt that!