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In the beginning

In the wee hours of the morning on Aug. 15 a small cry rang out from a room at the Via Christi Hospital in Wichita, Kansas. It was my grandson making his statement to the world, ìIím here!î
We worried, all of us who waited through two days of labor, if all would be well, if this new little being would be healthy, as well as his mother, my daughter.
I left a happy family in Wichita Sunday night- a glowing mom, healthy baby and overwhelmed dad. All was well.
Sure, heís keeping them up at night. Heís turned their world upside down and given them responsibilities they never thought possible. And worries, the kind I know all too well.
Heíll keep them on their toes for 18 years and then some. You never stop being a parent. Heíll fill their home with toy cars and his pockets with bugs and pretty rocks. Heíll give them scraped knees to bandage and bumps to kiss. And heíll break their hearts when he proudly walks off to kindergarten with a wave and quick smile and an ìIím a big boyî attitude. Heíll provide hours of entertainment as he learns to walk and climb and play ball and master things like musical instruments. He has nice long fingers, perhaps heíll play the piano.
Heíll hug his mom and make her cry, and wrestle with dad on the livingroom floor and dad will playfully wince at the punches coming from little boy fists. Heíll make his parents proud as he grows in stature and wisdom. To be sure, heíll give them grief as he becomes worldly and tries out new words he hears on the school bus. He may even break a few bones, have trouble with schoolwork, and turn to a career that mom and dad would never have planned for him. But thatís life.
Their goal will be to raise a self-sufficient person capable of solving problems, facing difficulties and meeting new challenges. His goal will be to be the most delightful little boy he can be.
One thing mom and dad must remember is that they are the primary caretakers of this little person, so their influences must be strong. Thereís a whole world out there determined to try and make a mockery of their task. My advice is to take each day for the awesome moment it is, savor the hours of cuddling and take pride in the moments of teaching. Set a good example and the child will have a steadfast road to follow as he grows old.
And as he grows, while there may be shouts of joy, trumpets of victories and blasts of great happiness ... Iíll remember that in the beginning it all started with a small cry in the night.

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