Sweeter It Grows

yesterday my wife and i went to see our new granddaughter.  we were pleased when her mother and father asked if we could care for her for a few hours while they ran some errands and went to lunch together.  we think she is the most beautiful baby in the world, and her parents are so proud of her.  it was a delight to watch them dote on her, concerned for her every cry and thrilled when she wiggled and cooed.  

my wife wanted to hold her every moment as we took care of her in their absence.    i enjoyed watching the two of them together, as my wife cradled the little one against her shoulder.  it was obvious that my wife loved her new granddaughter deeply and wanted to be with her every moment we were there.  when the baby fretted, my wife walked her or rocked her, comforting her as best she knew how.  for a few moments, we placed her in her bassinet and watched as she stretched her arms and legs, making soft sounds and looking at us.  the baby seemed to enjoy being left to exercise and experiment with her ability to move, but soon she began to fret.  as my wife picked her up and swayed from side to side her little cries subsided, and the baby was content.

all too soon her parents returned and began to talk with us about how best to care for the baby when her mother returns to work in three weeks.  they had been talking with her other grandmother, and she plans to take care of the little one at her home nearby two days a week.  the mother and father both work from home two days a week, so they think between the two of them they can care for her those two days.  that leaves one day when they need someone to take care of her.  we were thrilled when they asked if we might be able to come over that one day to help them out.

because of our age, we doubt that we will live much beyond her eighteenth birthday, if that long.  this makes it important to us to be with her as much as possible.  it means so much to us to have the chance to watch her grow and develop, and being with her one day every week will be wonderful.  we had given up hope that we would ever have a grandchild, and we don't want to miss being with her.

as i think of the warmth in our hearts for our new granddaughter, i want to have such love for all sentient beings.  may she inspire all in our family to love more deeply.  may each of us think of our love for a family member and learn to spread that kind of love to others.  may we love without condition and help others when we can.  may our hearts be open and our minds attentive to the needs around us.  shalom.