Life's Gifts, Early Spring 2011

Life's Gifts, Early Spring 2011

 

Daughter Ash called at 7 AM. The kids were sick, or one anyway. Emma, was coughing in the night. The others were claiming copy-cat-syndrome ailments and mom, in a weak moment,  offered a school reprieve for all, which meant that she had to call her personal assistant – me.

              “Is there any way you could come over?” was the way she put it. 

              

              I immediately went into accommodation mode, “Yeah, no problem,” I said, my voice hoarse from sleep.

                Tom- kids' dad - was going in to the office for an hour, Ash told me, then he would come back home and take over for the rest of the day.

Papa, Can We Play Football

I was there from 7:30 to 9:30. It was an easy shift. I sat in the living room, in an easy chair by the front window, reading my book in the sun while Ed and John watched TV. Emma was upstairs in her room with the laptop. Around 8:30 Johnnie approached me, “Papa, can we play football?”

“Now?” I said

“Yes.”

“Maybe this afternoon,” I said, “It’s freezing out now.” Last night’s low was near 20 degrees.

Eddie piped in from the TV room, “Not now Johnnie, we can play at 11 o’clock.”

“Two o’clock, Ed,” I corrected, “It’ll be warmer.”

Johnnie retreated to the TV room. He was back in a couple of minutes with a question. “Papa what is bigger, 11 o’clock or 2 o’clock?” I looked him. His patient eyes looked back at me, waiting for my answer. I felt a tug at my heart. I tried to explain time to Johnnie. 

“Time, in the morning, goes 8,9,10,11,12 then starts again, after 12, or noon, with 1, 2, 3 etc., so 2 o'clock comes after 11 o'clock every day. Get it?" I said. or something along those lines. He seemed to lose interest in this, looking away and flinging his arms through the air. I continued with further explanation ( AM, PM etc.) but he went back to the TV room.  

Tom arrived back home. I started to gather my things. John walked back into my room holding a small rubber dinosaur.  He looked at me as if to say, “I really wanted to play football now.”

Can I Give You a Hug and Kiss

“John,” I said, “Can I give you a hug and a kiss?”  He ran to me and wrapped his arms around me and lingered, leaning against my ribs. What is it that I felt? Is it Dopamine or Endorphins that the body releases as a signal that something is right or true? Whatever – the chemical message traveled through me as I squeezed my grandson.

With my book in hand and laptop case slung over my shoulder I walked in to say goodbye to Eddie who was wrapped in a down comforter on the couch. I rubbed his back, told him I loved him, that he was great at hockey practice last night because he was such a hustler, racing full speed every time they changed to a new drill. Ed leaned into the couch cushion, face down. He made a little grunt-like sound.  “Can I give you a hug and kiss?” I said and pressed my nose against his back. “Love you, Ed,” I said.

Once again, the chemicals stirred. 

 
A Nice Thing to Say

“You should go kiss Emma too,” Eddie said, not looking up. I told him that was such a nice thing to say. “Do you know that?” I said. 

 

He didn’t say anything.

I went upstairs to Emma’s room. I put my hands on her shoulders and said, “Eddie says I should hug you goodbye too. “  She leaned her head to my arms and I kissed her hair. “Love you baby,” I said. She made a sound of acknowledgment and I bid her goodbye walked down the stairs. “Goodbye beautiful boys,” I said to John and Ed.     

As I left, all I could think was how lucky I was and inside my head, there was a vague notion about life - and the many gifts that one has.