Grandbabygirl

That's what I have been calling her for months now.

My granddaughter will be born April 15th, just five days from now. I am staying at my son Mack's house awaiting the birth, and trying to help out as much as I can. My daughter-in-love, Beverly, is hard to keep resting, but I try. My son's son, Terry, nine,  and Beverly's son, Rowan, seven, are also living here and their activities have to be monitored. I am currently the homework monitor for Terry.

Soon it will be a family of five - his, hers and theirs. But they will all three be ours.

Her name will be Vivienne Simone Allison. Big name for a little baby girl, but one she can grow into. Currently they are going to call her Simone, but Beverly referred to her as Vivienne the other day. We shall see who she becomes.

I find myself speculating on what she will be like. I found with my sons that people seem to come a certain way, and you can only modify them so far. They come with talents, preferences, personalities, evident from birth. You can help them develop manners and habits, but you are not likely to turn a lover of words into a math person, a math genius into a poet, and so forth. You can only help them become the best of who they already are.

God knows my poor parents gave up on this strong-willed daydreamer.

I pray that she is healthy, and further than that, I will not go. Even healthy seems to be asking for a lot. Certainly children born with handicaps and illnesses and deformities have thrived in the right settings.

I pray that she is kind and loving. That she will defend those who need defending, help those who need help.

I pray that she will find happiness inside herself and not ask others to provide it for her.

I pray that she will be brave and not shy away from difficult things.

I do not ask that she be beautiful, or smart. If she is loving, that trait trumps beauty and high intelligence. Beauty will shine out of kind eyes.

Whoever she becomes, she will be born into a family who loves her already.

I am looking forward to meeting my grandbabygirl.