Random Thoughts-55
May 4th, 2009

I became an Uncle when I was six years old. Now, I am an Uncle to twenty-six nephews and nieces, a Great Uncle to twenty-nine of their children and a Great Great Uncle to two more. Of course, I always thought that I was a great great great Uncle to all of them.
I guess my point is that I have always been surrounded by babies. I grew up with them. I even had three of my own. Not alone, mind you, my wife had something to do with it, but I have always been very comfortable around babies.
This experience will come in very handy as I recently became a Grandfather when our oldest daughter delivered a bouncing baby boy! Yeah I know, GRANDPA.
In talking to my siblings about their Grandparent experiences it sounds like it’s going to be a blast. How does that bumper sticker go? “If I had known how much fun Grandchildren would be, I would have had them first!!” Ain’t it the truth?
I think many children are hard-wired to buck the authority of their parents. There seems to be a delayed timing mechanism built into them that makes them realize that their parents were right only after they have made the same mistakes that their parents had warned them to avoid. Make sense?
At least that has been my experience as both a child and as a parent. I know that somewhere my late Father is laughing away because he knows that I am raising me, if you know what I mean!?
I am trying hard to practice what I preach as I try to avoid the “Can hardly waits”, as in: “I can hardly wait until…he can walk, he can talk, he can skate,…” But I can hardly wait to spoil him and send him home to his parents!
Unfortunately, for me, I never had the chance to really get to know my Grandfathers. My maternal Grandfather passed away when I was three years old and my paternal Grandfather lived on the coast and passed away before I was ten. My children’s Grandfathers both left this earth far too early for our kids to fully appreciate their presence.
We humans have little or no control over how much time we have to live this life, so I for one am going to do my best to cherish each and every moment that I can spend with Treyton Perry Laverdiere and all the other grandchildren that may come my way.
“There is nothing like a newborn baby to renew your spirit-and to buttress your resolve to make the world a better place.”-Virginia Kelley.