Today is my last day of babysitting with this precious baby. I've been here every day for 2 1/2 months so you can imagine how hard it will be to leave knowing I won't see him but once a month or so. If I'm lucky. Every morning when I get to my son and daughter-in-law's house the two girls come running yelling "Grandma's here" and give me a hug. Then this one wiggles from head to toe and lifts his arms. Sigh.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm ready to go home. Back to my own little nest, my own bed, my own stuff. It's amazing how much you miss your stuff! When you're away for a while you appreciate it all the more.
But I'm thinking today about beginnings and endings. What a precious gift both are. Remember the excitement you felt at the beginning of your relationship with your husband? With each child or grandchild? Remember the thrill of a new job or a new church? My goodness, even the excitement of a new car or a new house can make our hearts beat extra fast. Beginnings are opportunities...times when we can become who we want to be, savor the unknown and embrace the things we haven't enjoyed before. But endings are just as sweet if more poignant. Graduations from kindergarten, grammar school, high school, college are all endings that make our hearts swell and, sometimes, our eyes leak tears of joy. Friends moving away tug at our heartstrings. Leaving the first home we shared with our husbands, going to a larger house to gain bedrooms for the coming children, can cause us to stop in our tracks and relive the early moments of love. But truly these aren't really endings; they're just bridges to a new path. This is very likely my last grandchild. The next baby born in our family will be a great-grandchild (no not yet!) That will be a whole new beginning for me and one that I never dreamed about since I never thought I'd be that old. :) But oh what fun that will be! Today I'm crossing a bridge from this season of my life to another season. Looking back I can't possibly choose which was my favorite season but I suspect it will be the next one coming.
What a bittersweet day for you. Enjoy your day so when you look back you'll not regret one single moment of this time with the baby! What a beautiful gift you were given with this chance to spend time with him, and what a wonderful gift you have given his parents by being there!
ReplyDeleteI think the best thing about the new season of life, the new begining, is the fact that it stretches before us clean and perfect, just waiting for us to put our mark on it. Have a wonderful new season of your life.....and make your mark on it!
Be blessed, my friend.
Aww, Marge just said what I was going to say!
ReplyDeleteHere's to New Beginnings
love, Angie, xx
It's wonderful that you were able to help out with the baby for a few months! Not many of us are able to do it.
ReplyDeleteA very poignant post today. And, oh how true!
ReplyDeleteI can so..oo...ooo identify! When I left to come home from my recent visit to see my newest grandson in the UK it was with the knowledge that, when I see him again, he will be so much bigger! Everything is relative Marlene.... If I had the prospect of seeing my children and grandchildren once a month I'd be ecstatic! I think it's wonderful for you, your grandson and his family that you were able to step in and be such an enormous help to them.....
ReplyDeleteSending you hugs today....
ReplyDeleteMichelle
What a cutie he is. One of our granddaughters lived in our house for the first 4 years of her life. (she will be 9 this year). It was very hard to see her leave...even tho it was only 10 miles away. She still is very special to us.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend.
What a great post! So well said. I have been talking about seasons of our lives a lot lately. I am ending the one where I am carefree and soon with Liliana on the way and my parents needing more and more of my help and time, I will be in a new season too. I hope yours is as exciting as mine!
ReplyDeletehugs, Linda
What a touching, true and heartfelt post.
ReplyDeleteMy heart is full with the sentiments you write about.
Hugs...
Beautiful perspective, Marlene! My heroes in the current season of my life are the moms with kids on their way out of the nest who all along the way have said, "Every age is my new favorite age!" So far it's so true! Embracing the now is what it's all about.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand what you are saying. My daughter with the 5 month old started working from home so she can stay home with her baby therefore I don't keep him anymore on a daily basis. I miss him but I love my time too. Now that school is out I am going to keep the other 3 grandchildren 2 days a week. They want me to do it more but it just wears me out. I love my time with them but not everyday. I truly admire you for what you did the past 2 1/2 months but I bet Home is going to be so sweet. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteLife is full of "beginnings" and "endings". We all should cherish each wonderful moment.
ReplyDeleteI love reading your blog. You are a wonderful writer......so enjoyable.
Susannah
What a lovely post, and what a wonderful little grandson you have here.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is so though provoking and that is a good thing. I know leaving the children is going to be very hard, but I also know how sweet it will be to be back in your nest with your hubby as well. Ah, the blessing of life.
ReplyDeleteYou always so eloquently describe rites of passage that we go through --
ReplyDelete--and bring us sighs & "uh-huh, she's so right!" & tears that do leak from our eyes.
How introspective and lovely.
What a beautiful and insightful post. I know how you feel. I am at my son's house helping out. Their baby boy is a week old today. I am loving spending this time with him and his 3 older siblings. I am cooking and playing all day long. What a joy. I came last Wed. and must leave next FRi. How I hate to go but I am flying from here to Utah to attend another grandson's high school graduation. I will enjoy my visit with my family there. I am so happy to be retired and able to gad around from family to family.
ReplyDeleteYour little grandson is SOOOO cute. I know that it will be hard to leave him... but your own bed and things will be welcoming I am sure.
(((hugs))) Lura
I liked this post so much, M. Just this morning (before I read it) I was thinking that one of the really nice things about working at a school is that each year we have celebrations -- what other kind of job provides that!
ReplyDeleteHe's so sweet! I know you'll miss not seeing them so often! But what a great way to view "an ending".
ReplyDelete