A Beautiful Sunday Morning:

[Dennis S]

A Beautiful Sunday Morning:

It is 5:00 in the morning in New Mexico. My heart is so full from yesterday?s events and the thoughts of the evening that I can?t spend this time sleeping. I love photography and writing. Each of them can preserve the moment. And I really want to preserve this moment. Our daughter Stephanie is here with our granddaughter, the one I love to call baby Ellie. She is nearly a year old. Yesterday was my wife?s birthday. Fifty-nine years old, and Thirty-Eight of them spent with me.

Baby Ellie is determined to learn to walk. She wants to hold your finger and practice walking all over the house and property. But baby Ellie isn?t that tall. And Grandpa, Grandma and even Mom can only go so far while stooped over, finger extended down far enough for her to reach up and cling to it for balance. We all took turns, trying to give baby Ellie the practice and guidance she needed. And suddenly a wonderful gift: baby Ellie took her first steps on Grandma?s birthday!

I lead the congregational singing in a tiny church 1/5 mile off the boundaries of the Jemez Pueblo. I stand in front of our little congregation, which consists, in nearly equal parts, of Indians, Hispanics and Anglos. We live in an area of great natural beauty, but this faithful little band of people is the most beautiful part of the Jemez. Last night my daughter asked if we could begin our service with the song ?Wonderful, Merciful Savior?. A beautiful song that I had heard, but couldn?t quite place. Then she reminded me that, with the whole family?s help, I had struggled to church the first Sunday after I left the hospital following my surgery. We got there early, and this was the first song we heard. How precious it is to me that she wants to get up and sing it with me this Sunday morning. But what really got me out of bed, and sent me to the keyboard was this thought: We extend our hand to baby Ellie, and do our best to keep her safe. Someday, when she is old enough to understand I want to sing this song just for her. And I want her to understand that God extends his hand to her. And God will never need a break to rest his aching back. And holding God?s finger for the rest of her life will take her to the best places that the world has to offer.

 

[Phyllis]

Happy Mother's, Father's and Grandfather's Day, Dennis. What a beautiful tribute to your family, your community and your life. Enjoy!

 

[Marguerite53]

Dennis. What is particularly lovely about what you just wrote was that you wrote it to us!! Thank you for sharing your beautiful experience and sentiments. It's been a lovely way to start my day!

Marguerite

 

[Dennis S]

Thanks

Thanks

Thanks for the kind comments. I got an unexpected bonus this morning. When it was time to go up front, baby Ellie didn't want to let go of Grandpa's neck. So we went up front, started the service, and sang our song while Ellie held onto my neck with one hand, and beamed at the tiny congregation with everything she had. This song will always be special to me.

 

[geebee]

Dennis,
Your words and the picture of little Ellie are priceless. Thanks for all your wonderful sharing. I sure hope we get to meet someday.

 

[Mary]

Thanks for the kind comments. I got an unexpected bonus this morning. When it was time to go up front, baby Ellie didn't want to let go of Grandpa's neck. So we went up front, started the service, and sang our song while Ellie held onto my neck with one hand, and beamed at the tiny congregation with everything she had. This song will always be special to me.

Dennis,
Isn't it amazing how such a wee little one can capture our hearts and bring a smile to our face whenever we think of them? I believe that God in his goodness allows us to share a glimpse of the world through their eyes.

 

[Rain]

The little things....

The little things....

Dennis,

Isn?t it funny how the little things in our lives are really the biggest things of all? Your granddaughter and the beautiful thought?s you?ve shared with us make me want to share what happened to me last night with my own 12 year old daughter. It was the most unique, touching, and scary Mother?s Day present I?ve received to date.

A few days ago Sara (my 12 year old) asked me about my ?favorite Mother?s Day present?. I told her that nearly every year the boys (her brothers, who are 10 and 12 years older than her) and Dad would till the garden and help me plant it for mother?s day. Then we?d have a big BBQ. And I absolutely loved it. Things sorta changed when the boys went to college and weren?t home..... so she doesn?t really remember it. In recent years it's pretty much been just her and I doing it.

Anyway... This year Ry (her older bro who is back home after graduating) has already tilled 90% of the garden, the only thing being left is my ?tear drop? and a little patch under Ry?s bedroom window... neither of which I till every year, but want to this year. I mentioned during the conversation that I needed to get all the weeds pulled out of the tear drop, because I wanted Ry to till it this year too. Then we?d replant the plants we want to save. But I didn?t want him to till in the seeds... so I?d have to pull them soon. That was a few days ago......

Sooooooo last night..... 1:30 AM.

I?ve stopped letting the dogs in the house every night, (her and Ry both have standard poodles) it?s warm enough for them to sleep out side, but Sara and Ryan still let them in most of the time. About 1:30 I hear Sara go downstairs and let the dogs in. Hmmmm.... okay... that?s a little strange, but she'll do just about anything for her dog. So I'm thinking she just woke up and remembered he was outside. She doesn?t usually get up once she goes to bed. But that?s not unreasonable. But as time elapsed and I was laying there half asleep, something just didn?t seem right. After maybe ten minutes I just had to go check and make sure she was okay... I couldn?t shake the feeling that something wasn?t right. I went in her room .... and NO SARA!!! She?s not in her bed, not in her bathroom, I even looked in her closet! Okay... be calm... I went down stairs looked all through the down stairs..... NO SARA.... okay... fear in creeping in. I go back up stairs and look through her bedroom again, turned on the light in her bathroom, turned on the light in her closet.... NO SARA. Okay, I?m freaking..... but I decided to look downstairs one more time before I woke up her Dad. For some reason...... I decided to open the door to the back yard. (Why on earth would she be in the back yard?) I never even get up to check on her in the middle of the night, much less look in the back yard! But I did..... the yard light wasn?t even on!) But I looked.... and there sat Sara with a flash light and rubber gloves on. I said, "Sara, what are you doing" ?? No answer.... "SARA...... what are you doing?!" "Nothing" she says in a quiet voice. I?m thinking has she flipped out on me??? Is she sleep walking?? She?s never done anything like this before...... WHAT ITS GOING ON HERE?? I?m really a little scared! Again I said, "Sara... WHAT are you doing?". Finally she says, "I?m pulling the weeds for you...... for Mother?s Day".

I didn?t know whether to laugh or cry!! I begged her to come in and we?d finish it in the AM... but nooooooooo way. She sat there and weeded the whole thing ... I ran back up and pulled on my shorts and helped her finish. It took us about a half hour. I'm sure it's a time she'll never forget either.... as we sat there pulling weeds in the middle of the night I was telling her how much I loved her, how much she scared me.... how proud I was of her.

When we came in I noticed she had tears in her eyes....she said she got poked by Ryan?s cactus that is sitting in a pot in my tear drop..... but I?m pretty sure she was really crying because her plan didn?t work... she got caught and it didn?t turn out to be a surprise.

I was SOOOOOO SCARED. So impressed... I guess that's part of being a parent... scared, impressed, proud... so many emotions in the blink of an eye.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts of your granddaughter. Truely beautiful. I'm ashamed to say... I never knew how much one person could love another until I had a child. I remember thinking as I held my first son... 'wow... my mom loves me this much too!'. I was such an idiot. I loved my Mom as much as any child can love a Mom.... but it took having one of my own to REALLY understand. My Mom was the best Mom ever. Happy Mother's Day Mom.

Okay.. I'm getting sappy. Just thought I'd share my unique "Mother's Day" gift with you. It's my all time best so far.

 

[Dennis S]

Wow

Wow

What a story-I read it out loud to my wife & daughter. We hung on every word. Just reading it was scary & powerful. And I can't imagine the roller coaster of emotions.

 

[Karlynn]

Dennis - what a wonderful post. I rejoice with you in your treasured life being so very full.

 

[Mary]

Rain,
That brought tears to my eyes. You've raised quite a girl.