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Welcome to familywisdom.com, a website dedicated to informing and inspiring couples and families. Each week you will find a new article, story or essay about parenting, marriage or life. Suggestions for articles and questions to Ellen Terich are welcome. You can contact her at e.terich1@verizon.net |
PRINCESS GRACIE TURNS TWO 2005-06-08 Princess Gracie turned two last week and we went to her birthday party on Sunday. All week her grandfather and I worked to restore and paint a 34 year old rocking chair that once belonged to her mother. When we brought it into the house she immediately sat down and rocked one of her dolls. It brought back a lot of memories of her mother at that age. "Where have the years gone?" we grandparents remark to each other as we smile at the antics of our growing grandchildren and admire the loving parents our children have become. It's a common question asked at children's birthday parties and on a lot of other occasions as time moves forward. My own birthday is coming up and I realize that when Grace is my daughter's age, my daughter will be the age I am now. And I will be - well, let's not go there. One thing you learn as you get older is that the only way to live is to enjoy each moment. In your young years you spend so much time looking forward to something in the future, which usually is not as wonderful as you thought it would be once you get there. Anticipation is delicious when you are young, but not so tasty as you get older when the things you anticipate are likely to be aches and pains and wrinkles. There is one good thing I am looking forward to, though, and that is the birth of a new grandchild. Sean and Grace are going to be joined by a new little brother or sister in November. But even as I await the arrival of this precious new life, I have learned that the best thing to do is just enjoy the moment: a lovely summer day; a wonderful novel; a lunch with friends; a quiet evening at home with the man you love; a beautiful granddaughter's second birthday. All we really have is this moment, after all. And a good life ultimately is the adding up of a lot of good moments, hopefully more good than bad. My wish for Gracie this birthday is that she will always enjoy the individual moments of her life as much as she does now. I hope she will always be delighted by the taste of strawberries and avocados and cucumbers, that she will always love to run and laugh and not mind getting a little dirty, that she will always look to her big brother for companionship and mischief and protection, and that she will always love and be loved just as much as she is today. Happy Birthday, Princess Grace! |