Happy Birthday Gabriel

Today is our grandson Gabe's birthday. These are the days when I get very emotional about being away from family because I want to be there in person to say the Happy Birthdays. Phone calls just don't cut it with this stuff.

A little background on our being grandparents to Gabe. We became grandparents very early in our lives, much sooner than we'd expected to. It has been an unusual path, and one filled with things that have been very hard for us. It has also brought more pure, unadulterated joy into my life than any other single thing has. It has been the extremes of both ends of the emotional spectrum, and perhaps that is why it is so dear and so deeply branded in my heart.

Our first grandchild to enter our lives was Olivia, and like a first time Mom, I wondered if I would love future grandchildren as much as I adored her. Gabe entered our lives three years later and I quickly realized that like being a Mom, the love just multiplies. I love Gabe in different ways than Liv, because he is a different person, and the love is as deep and as strong for sure! He and Liv are all that is good in my world, summed up in these two little people. If I start to doubt things, I just think of them and my faith is quickly restored. I not only love these kids, but I truly enjoy them as people. I say they are my sunshine and my moonlight with their goodness beaming into my life. Liv is sunshine and Gabe is moonlight.

Gabe is fun and seriousness all rolled up into one. He is bold and daring, and tender and sensitive. He plays hard and he works hard and he loves hard. He has talents galore and it is easy to be impressed by him. I mostly adore this kid because just sitting and talking to him is so cool because he is so cool. He ponders deep things and I suspect he feels deep things. When I spend time with him, he reminds me that people are important and the rest is just stuff.


Gabe, our little football star, we love you so much. Happy 7th Birthday!