Real Life Reflections

The waiting is over! Brooklyn Adeline arrived this past Thursday, and while I awaited the euphoria that my fellow-grandparents assured me would come, I found that instead of what I expected, I fell in love. Deeply, unreservedly, unconditionally, in love. Everyone decided to lie down for a nap. I voluntarily sacrificed my nap (that's just the kind of gal I am) to stay with Brooklyn. I mean, what three day-old infant can take a nap by herself?. Someone had to hold her, so I volunteered. I'm such a martyr. As we lounged on the sofa together, she slept. I absorbed every bit of her: the curve of her tiny little ears, the motion of her eyes beneath her eyelids as she dreamed (of what? Being back in the womb maybe? Nursing?), her perfectly shaped lips so like her great grandma's, her soft, so soft, skin with its perfect complexion. I stared at her and basked in simply loving her. I let every part of her sink and settle deep within my heart. This was my first time alone with her,...

Waiting. Ironically, even in our hurried lives, our days are full of it. Don't you just love to wait? What could be better than waiting in traffic? Or waiting for your computer to boot up (especially when you're in a hurry)? Or for your turn at the dentist's office in anticipation of a root canal (oh joy)? What about waiting in the drive-thru lane at Starbucks for a venti vanilla double espresso latte on your way to work when you can barely keep your eyes open for the lack of caffeine? Or waiting at the airport to see your best friend whom you haven't seen in ten years? Yep, we do a lot of waiting during the time we're roaming around this side of eternity, but what a difference there is between waiting for something we dread and waiting for something we're excited about. For example, I'm currently waiting to meet my first grandchild (I write that so calmly, but inside, I'm S-C-R-E-A-M-I-N-G, jumping around, flailing my arms, wriggling, twisting, and hopp...

Today I saw not only one, but two, pearls. People watching at the mall. That's what I'd been doing. I didn't plan to watch the mall-walkers this morning, but I got caught up in it. It's fun to create life-stories based on the age, demeanor, facial expressions, and coiffure of each person unfortunate enough to walk past my line of sight. It's also surprisingly emotional and thought-provoking. There were the two separate women pushing strollers: One with an athlete's body aside from a remainder pregnancy pooch that she is quite obviously determined to walk off. I felt admiration for her resolute commitment to the cause mixed with sorrow for the baby of someone with that kind of drive who could easily be overlooked as mom unwaveringly sets her face towards the goal. The other mother strode through the mall in a body that hadn't seen regular physical activity in at least a few years. Her maternal gaze fixed on her toddler as he danced along beside the stroller t...