AN OPEN LETTER TO MY LITTLE GRANDDAUGHTER
J. Grant Swank, Jr.
Dear Aja Marie,
I never thought in all the world that I would type this. But I must because it is true. I simply must. Yet, regard this as coming from a strict disciplinarian. That is, I have tried to behave well before my three children in their growing up in our Christian home. Priscilla, your grandmother, and I have believed that discipline is right alongside love, mirroring our heavenly Father’s nature.
So I when I give you these deserved compliments, it is not from a gushing, foolish grandparent’s heart. It is from one who has justly prided himself on pulling in the ropes when children went wrong, attempting to lead them in the right way. My wife and I have not had that much patience with brattish children. We don’t tolerate too kindly those little ones — no matter how cute they appear — who act as spoiled urchins of the planet.
On the other hand, we have tried to have a wide margin for patience. True. We realize that we are all mortals — spiritually fallen from our first parents’ bad start of things. We take that into full consideration, especially when appraising little ones who are just staring on the journey. I for one am a philosophical type who does attempt to see things from the Big Picture perspective, taking into account our human failings, and giving each person a reasonable time frame to come to his and her senses.
Yet when I entertain you, Aja Marie, little one that you are at 2 years-of-age, I wonder. I marvel. I am not quite sure of myself. And that makes me just a bit uneasy for I’m not accustomed to being not quite sure of myself.
Yet you do that to me. You take this fellow who is in his 60s and turn him on his head at times. I wouldn’t admit that to many; but I will say that to you for you deserve it. And it also brings a grin to my face when thinking it.
Yes, you turn me on my head because I have such a delight in you. You are so precious with those eyes that look up at just the right moment to catch me unawares. You know how to win me over with just a shy, coy glance; no one has ever done that before. But you do it. And what is so very interesting is that I wait anxiously for you to do it again. . .and again! How can your young mind know how to be so toying with a fellow like me?
How did you come upon this whimsy?
Aja Marie, when I was told that you were going to come to be with us for a week, I thought, "That is too long. The furniture will be clawed. The knick-knacks will be broken. The rug will be turned up. She will keep us up all hours of the night. She will waken us up at dawn. She will yammer for this and that. She will demand this cookie and that ice cream. And before a couple of days are done, I’ll be ready to package the girl up and send her back home. For sure. I just know it."
But you have proven me to be utterly so very wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. You have proven me to be so wrong and am I ever so glad that you have. In fact, when morning comes, I look at your sleeping face and wonder when you are going to wise up so as to get up. We need you. We want you. We want to hear your voice and watch your changing countenance. We want to take in your antics and be surprised by your innocently schemed foolishness.
And then when I have to run an errand that would not permit a little girl to be along, I find myself looking forward so very much to getting back home with you. You see, there’s something happening in my life. I have a grandson who is truly a handsome dude, par excellence. He is just absolutely unique in every way. I would not trade him in for any other youngster in the world — ten-year-old that he is. He knows all that. His grandmother and I have told him that — in varying ways. And with all this acclaim going to you, Aja Marie, I would not want Carl to feel the least bit slighted. I am sure that if he reads this, he will understand, particularly as he grows older.
But God knew that I needed a second blessing. I was blessed with the first grandchild being Carl, a boy. Now I am blessed with a second grandchild being Aja Marie, a girl. How can I ever count my riches? God has been so outlandishly good to me.
Aja Marie, please come to visit us again. . .soon. I know that each week you are changing. And every month that I do not see you, you have changed all the more. And in six months, who will you be? I ask God that you don’t change that much. Instead, I pray that you will always fling my heart to the sun, as you have in your visits recently.
Thank you, Aja Marie. I pray for you. I love you so very much.
For more: http://conservativeposts.us/ <http://conservativeposts.us/>
Dear Aja Marie,
I never thought in all the world that I would type this. But I must because it is true. I simply must. Yet, regard this as coming from a strict disciplinarian. That is, I have tried to behave well before my three children in their growing up in our Christian home. Priscilla, your grandmother, and I have believed that discipline is right alongside love, mirroring our heavenly Father’s nature.
So I when I give you these deserved compliments, it is not from a gushing, foolish grandparent’s heart. It is from one who has justly prided himself on pulling in the ropes when children went wrong, attempting to lead them in the right way. My wife and I have not had that much patience with brattish children. We don’t tolerate too kindly those little ones — no matter how cute they appear — who act as spoiled urchins of the planet.
On the other hand, we have tried to have a wide margin for patience. True. We realize that we are all mortals — spiritually fallen from our first parents’ bad start of things. We take that into full consideration, especially when appraising little ones who are just staring on the journey. I for one am a philosophical type who does attempt to see things from the Big Picture perspective, taking into account our human failings, and giving each person a reasonable time frame to come to his and her senses.
Yet when I entertain you, Aja Marie, little one that you are at 2 years-of-age, I wonder. I marvel. I am not quite sure of myself. And that makes me just a bit uneasy for I’m not accustomed to being not quite sure of myself.
Yet you do that to me. You take this fellow who is in his 60s and turn him on his head at times. I wouldn’t admit that to many; but I will say that to you for you deserve it. And it also brings a grin to my face when thinking it.
Yes, you turn me on my head because I have such a delight in you. You are so precious with those eyes that look up at just the right moment to catch me unawares. You know how to win me over with just a shy, coy glance; no one has ever done that before. But you do it. And what is so very interesting is that I wait anxiously for you to do it again. . .and again! How can your young mind know how to be so toying with a fellow like me?
How did you come upon this whimsy?
Aja Marie, when I was told that you were going to come to be with us for a week, I thought, "That is too long. The furniture will be clawed. The knick-knacks will be broken. The rug will be turned up. She will keep us up all hours of the night. She will waken us up at dawn. She will yammer for this and that. She will demand this cookie and that ice cream. And before a couple of days are done, I’ll be ready to package the girl up and send her back home. For sure. I just know it."
But you have proven me to be utterly so very wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. You have proven me to be so wrong and am I ever so glad that you have. In fact, when morning comes, I look at your sleeping face and wonder when you are going to wise up so as to get up. We need you. We want you. We want to hear your voice and watch your changing countenance. We want to take in your antics and be surprised by your innocently schemed foolishness.
And then when I have to run an errand that would not permit a little girl to be along, I find myself looking forward so very much to getting back home with you. You see, there’s something happening in my life. I have a grandson who is truly a handsome dude, par excellence. He is just absolutely unique in every way. I would not trade him in for any other youngster in the world — ten-year-old that he is. He knows all that. His grandmother and I have told him that — in varying ways. And with all this acclaim going to you, Aja Marie, I would not want Carl to feel the least bit slighted. I am sure that if he reads this, he will understand, particularly as he grows older.
But God knew that I needed a second blessing. I was blessed with the first grandchild being Carl, a boy. Now I am blessed with a second grandchild being Aja Marie, a girl. How can I ever count my riches? God has been so outlandishly good to me.
Aja Marie, please come to visit us again. . .soon. I know that each week you are changing. And every month that I do not see you, you have changed all the more. And in six months, who will you be? I ask God that you don’t change that much. Instead, I pray that you will always fling my heart to the sun, as you have in your visits recently.
Thank you, Aja Marie. I pray for you. I love you so very much.
For more: http://conservativeposts.us/ <http://conservativeposts.us/>
<< Home