GRANDCHILDREN

I'd stopped at one of those fast food restaurants for a quick sandwich. Sitting alone in one of those booths with the half-walls at my right side, I was startled when a head popped up over the top of it. It was a man near my age with a big smile on his face and a hand full of pictures. He asked, "Would you look at pictures of my 2 yr. old granddaughter?" Sure! He leaned farther over the partition and handed them to me. He explained that he was headed to the airport to pick up this darling little girl and that he thought she was the cutest thing ever! I slowly looked and commented that truly, she was beautiful! He told me her name, the day she was born, how long it had been since he'd seen her and the length of her soon visit. He was SO excited and about to burst. After sufficient oohs and aahhs I returned the pictures, congratulated him on his new status in life and he was on his way.

Evidently I looked like a Grandma that would understand his complete and total devotion to his granddaughter!

He was right!

B.G. (before grandchildren) I'd vowed that I would NEVER become one of those obnoxious old people that bored everyone they saw with pictures and stories of shriveled up little babies and toddlers with spaghetti on their heads. That was BEFORE we received that phone call September 21, 1998. Our first grandchild, Andrew Hays Braner was born in Springfield, MO. We were living in Savannah, GA at the time. I felt the physical transformation. It started at the top of my head and flowed to the toes of my feet. I instantly became ONE OF THEM! I was normal one minute and the next a "silly goose grandma". The metamorphosis was complete and permanent. From that moment on no one was spared my stories and pictures. I happily made deals with my friends, if they would look at my pictures now, I would look at their pictures in the future. If not, no deal!

Only after they too become grandparents do they understand the need to talk, to share story after story after story.

The morning after Hays was born we jumped in the car and drove all those long miles to see him in the hospital! He was (and is) wonderful! He's now 11.

There's just nothing like grand parenting. We now have eight and they are all absolutely PERFECT. They can do no wrong and are the delights of our hearts. They have NO IDEA how much they are loved. Our best time is when they are near!

(The picture is of me and Thompson, born last October! Thought you might like to see it!!)

I repent of idolatry regularly.