A New Reason to Sing

posted originally on 11/7/13

Grandbaby number nine finally arrived. Naomi Adelle is healthy, weighing in at ten pounds and one ounce. Mommy is fine, too. but very tired.

Gramma is on cloud nine with another baby to love and cuddle. I've been told by my three girls that this will be my last grandbaby, (they've each given me three) so I intend to cuddle this one as much as possible. Not that I didn't cuddle the other ones at every opportunity.

As I sat and held Naomi last evening, I cried. But then, that's nothing new either. I cried the first time I held the other ones as infants. They are always tears of joy. Part of the joy I feel is because my daughter has come safely through a pregnancy and delivery. As a nurse, I am well aware that it doesn't always happen that way. I'm grateful for God's goodness.

I cried because I know this little girl is joining a wonderful family. She has a strong, generous dad, a loving, sensitive mom, and an older brother and sister who are going to be her forever playmates. Most important, she is part of a family that will teach her about God and His love for her. She will be taken to church and be taught that being good is the only way to happiness.

Selfishly, some of the tears of joy are for me. I have loved babies for as long as I can remember. I don't remember when my first two brothers were born, I was only fourteen months and three and half, but I do remember when my mom put my third brother in my arms. I was seven at the time, and can still remember the sense of wonder I felt as I held him, and fell in love with him. A year later, when I held my baby sister, I was overjoyed. She was my very own little doll. Yes, I do love babies. They make me happy.

The other tears of joy I cried last evening were for Naomi. I cried because she is healthy and beautiful. And I cried because I know she's a special child of God, and He has a plan for her life. As long as I'm her Gramma, I will pray that God will bless her, and that she will choose to stay close to the One who created her.

But I didn't cry for very long last night, because the joy in my heart also brought laughter to my lips. As I watched her make her funny baby faces, I had to smile. Once she puckered, and another time she opened one eye, as if she was just looking to see who the funny old woman was who was crying and laughing intermittently.

Then, just as I was getting ready to sing her my "You are my sunshine" song, I realized I was too late. There were other people in her life who had reason to sing. The big sister who had expressed her hesitance at giving up her "baby" position in her family, broke out in song. It was a song that welcomed this new little one into all our lives.

Our baby Naomi, who gives her Gramma a reason to cry, also gives her, and others a reason to laugh and sing.