I had over 7 months to prepare for her arrival and yet the emotions that came over me while I held her for the first time were far beyond what I expected! How can you love someone so much before you even meet her? Before she even takes her first breath, she becomes one of the most important people in your life! Just doesn’t make sense! But sure enough its true!
From the moment I knew she was coming into my life I have been excited to finally meet her. For me it’s always an anxious time when you meet someone new. Will you like them; will they like you? Will they be really annoying and drive you crazy? Some want to be friends with you but the feeling isn’t mutual and vice versa. So meeting folks for the first time can be an interesting adventure for sure.
With her the expectation was even higher! I have a role to play in her life. I am “Grampa Smith”! Wait what?? How in the world do I do that?!?! One minute I’m an old guy skating through life and the next minute I have an entirely new role to play?! How do I know how to be a Grampa? Where is the Grampa manual? What do I do? What don’t I do?
Will I be a good Grampa, or will I be the one kids run from and hide at every visit clinging to their parents’ leg for support and protection? Will I have a candy in my pocket especially for her every time I see her or will I yell at her to “get off the lawn I just planted grass seeds there “?
All I know about being a Gramp is what I know from my own Gramp...…. Good Lord how can I live up to that?!
From the orange and cheese parties he used to have with us kids (when I know he had a thousand other things he needed to do on the farm) to the constant interest in our lives shown by the simple questions he would ask each time he saw us. My gramp was always a positive force in my life!
Never judgmental, always supportive and there when we needed him as if quietly waiting for the call to action. From a lap to sit in on a rainy day as a child, to a tow out of a snowbank on a winter day as a teen. Gramp was always there when I needed him.
Ok, I can do this! All I have to do is think back and say “what would gramp do “and I will surely be able to ace this gramp thing!
That reminds me I need to stock up on candy, oranges and cheese! I wonder what kind of candy she will like ? I better just stock up on them all just to be sure !
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