This guy…..

 THIS GUY......

Seeing these pictures makes my heart sing with joy… but also there is sadness in the background…

We have 23 great grandchildren.. All them are a joy to be with .. to watch as they grow up. .. from the youngest of 2 to the oldest who is 16.  But this one lives near us…so we are closer to him than the rest.  We see him more often. We babysit him… He and  Poppa are best buddies.. Poppa makes Asian noodles which is the best.. he tells his mom.  He drinks Poppa’s water with the straw in it and laughs… He gets up in Poppa’s lap and gives him a bad time.. but also while there, fall asleep together.. he on Poppa’s chest… Poppa can’t wait until he gets older, so he can teach him how to fish.

This one picture of him with his elephant, running across the field.. hits hard… he has such joy as he is running to Grammie’s house .. My daughter. He is her son’s son. They just live across the field from each other.  When he gets the ok, from Mom, he runs across the field to be with his Grammie as they get to play, cook and do art work. 

The sadness that I feel from time to time, as he look at that picture.. I don’t allow myself often… because I think about how I won’t be around to watch him grow up.  He has a little brother due in July.. right around the time he turns 3.  And I am glad I will be around to see him born.

Even thinking about the rest of them. As I enjoy the pictures on Facebook of each of them…. I wonder…. the graduations…the weddings that I will miss…  but I make sure I don’t think about this often..