Pure Joy-Grandmotherhood

There is pure joy in being a first-time grandparent. Life has taken on a whole new meaning from the very first moment that I received the text and photo that Sierra Kathryn came into the world. I instantly felt an astounding amount of joy that has grown each day.  

Leslie Stahl in her book, Becoming Grandma, talks about the enormity of being a grandmother from the initial jolt of elation. She quotes Ogden Nash's poem:

Stupendous, miraculous, unsurpassed,

A child to stagger and flabbergast,

Bright as a button, sharp as a thorn,

And the only perfect one ever born.

One year has passed and I am still feeling jolts of happiness. Whether I am face-to-face or in a Google Hangout, Sierra's radiant smile brightens my world. Using Ogden Nash's poem as a mentor text, I created the following.

Remarkable, miraculous, unimagined

A little one so charming you can't fathom, 

Curious as a cat, radiant as the sun
And full of perfection yet undone.
©CVarsalona, 2018, Virginia 

I have found out that a Grandma's time is not her own when she is grandbaby sitting. This post is short and sweet so I can go back to spending time with Sierra and celebrate her birthday tomorrow. 

My artist/poet friend, Michelle Kogan, is hosting today's Poetry Friday Roundup and adding her BAYOU SONG Book Review. Michelle's interview with author and poet Margaret Simon is the first stop on the BAYOU SONG Blog Tour. I will be one of the last stops on July 27, 2018. 

A First

How special we thought, a first for us! All packed, we were ready to drive through the fog to Baltimore for an out-of-town, extended-family wedding. Unfortunately, the fog followed us to Baltimore but we did not allow that to dampen our mood. We were happy to have arrived safely and looked forward to seeing our grandbaby, Sierra.

First, I needed to get adjoining rooms for our daughter, son-in-law, and baby Sierra and my family. It took a long-winded conversation to accomplish this but once the request was in place, we began the process of unpacking and rearranging the rooms. We needed to leave plenty of space for the baby paraphernalia to arrive. Little did we know that my daughter would be delayed due to DC traffic. The clock was ticking. My daughter needed to get ready for the rehearsal dinner and meet my son-in-law who was the best man. My husband, son, and I needed to take care of the baby so everyone was put on standby.

My husband and son settled into our room while I started arranging the furniture in my daughter's room so the play and pack would have its own spot. Even the bellman was waiting for the car to pull up to the hotel. When the text came, my family and bellman rushed to meet in the lobby but the car was not there. Tension mounted. We waited for what seemed a long time. Then, the car pulled up and the busyness began. The bell man quickly began unloading the endless amount of baggage and I hurried to check on Sierra. 

Believe it or not, after two and half hours of travel Sierra was smiling. In fact her smile radiated so a chain of smiles were seen by all as we traveled upstairs to our rooms overlooking Baltimore harbor. Unfortunately, the fog was so thick we could not appreciate the beauty of the nighttime sight until the next day. For the time being, we were content and delighted to play with Sierra and get ready for her nighttime routine. 

The night turned out to be a joyous first babysitting venture that I will never forget. In fact, the whole weekend was filled with many life living moments!

Thanks Two Writing Teachers for the space to write my slice about my "grandmother" life and share it with a community of writers.

First Month Joy

Thursday marks the first month of Baby Sierra Kathryn's life. From the moment, I read the text and saw her newborn photo, I fell in love. Joy immediately flowed and I counted the hours until I met her. 

This week, on my second trip to Virginia, I celebrate Sierra's life with my family. Her smile, coo, stretching poses, and adorable faces have delighted me as she becomes more alert and in touch with her surroundings. With these images, I have created a  memory quilt to take back to Long Island. They will be placed in a special corner of my heart as a keepsake of grandmother love. 

Being a grandmother, albeit a long-distance one, is a gift of endless joy. I can be a cuddler and story teller while I am with Sierra and then, a dream maker and story builder while I am away. I can envision walking a path alongside Sierra as she makes her mark in life. 

Many grandmothers have shared this same joy that I feel today. I have heard their stories and honored the wisdom that they have passed on to me. One such grandmother, Donna Smith, surprised me today with a beautiful, original poem that she wrote for me. She included a special note: "Enjoy this chapter in your life. It is amazing." I thank Donna for reaching out to me as I celebrate this week with my daughter and her husband, along with my husband son.

This afternoon, while the house was quiet, I read aloud Donna's poem to Sierra and her mother.

At Her Birth

Fathomless, untapped
Love freshened, unwrapped from depths;
All hearts were remapped.

by Donna JT Smith, 2017

Time passes on. I savor each precious moment spent with Sierra.  

Although I am late with this writing, I will  Celebrate This Week with Ruth Ayres and slice with Two Writing Teachers.

Grandmotherhood

Morning light sweeps the room.

Day nestles in the corner,

swaddling baby in love.
CV, 2017

The heart journey begins

with a sweet coo,

a soft touch,

strong emotion

wrapped

in

love.
CV, 2017

Grandmotherhood is a new calling for me. I bring to mind childhood memories reminding me of the special moments I spent with my grandmother: rose garden tending, kneading dough, hanging washed clothes in the sunlight, shucking peas, and tasting treats from her kitchen. Summer days were mellow, peaceful, and full of love. I also bring to mind timeworn memories of my mother dispensing her love on my children. She created magical moments for them daily. Genuine love has been passed on from generation to generation and so I shall faithfully continue the tradition with Baby Sierra Kathryn.

******************

Thank you to my friend and fabulous poet, Irene Latham, for sending me gifts from the heart prior to Sierra's birth. I will cherish these Summer Poem Swap gifts always. Look below to find an original poem, joy notebook, and miniature hurdy gurdy that plays Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star from Irene. 

Don't you just love the opening to the poem Irene wrote?

"a time to remain rooted as an oak

as you cradle a warm moon" 

Now it is time to visit Heidi Mordhurst's site, my juicy little universe, for the Poetry Friday Round-Up. 

Readers, I am still in the process of designing my spring gallery, Springsations. As you can see, I have been preoccupied with the birth of first grandchild. As a beautiful spring blossom she will be the inspiration to unveil the gallery. Stay tuned!