Very vivid in my memory is the loss of my grandparents.

When we lost my Dad’s father we were stationed in Hawaii and only he could return for the services.

I remember my paternal grandfather as a kind man who worked hard during very tough times to support a wife and 7 children. His illness and death left a profound mark on my life as it was my first experience in the loss of a loved one.

Then the loss of my paternal grandmother at a time when we spent most days concerned with the well being of Dad who was serving in Vietnam.

Grandma was a stern woman who did the best she could to raise those 6 girls and 1 boy. She was not warm and funny like my grandfather but always made certain if you visited that all your basic necessities were met. None of her (sometimes hard to take) personality traits changed the loss we felt at her unexpected death.

My maternal grandparents were a very important part of my life growing up. They visited us whenever they could no matter where we were stationed. I never really had a “home” as others know one, but when on leave my folks would say “we’re going home” I always knew that meant to visit Grandma and Grandpa.

Mom too came from a large family and when we would arrive “home” all were there to greet us..aunts, uncles, cousins friends. It was always quite a reunion and yes that’s what it was as there were times the absences were lengthy.

I am the oldest grandchild and my grandmother would inevitably, within an hour of arrival instruct me to “take the younger ones for a walk to see the reindeer” so final preparations could be made for the meal we would all share. Those plastic reindeer, those bib aprons, a glider swing and the amazing smells and sounds of their home all formed powerful memories.

Learning to iron was not a chore because Grandma taught me. Nothing was ever wasted..it was eaten, used or shared. Church on Sunday was expected and no argument for ever offered as everyone knew it would be promptly rejected.

My grandparents, with whom I could not share anywhere near as much time as I would have liked formed many of the values I carry today. Their love was unconditional and the respect they commanded was well deserved. Losing them was one of the most difficult and heartbreaking experiences of my life.

I cannot imagine as any of my grandparents were lying gravely ill that I would do this:

I just know I couldn’t!

Maybe this is the way the Senator deals with grief and for that I will pass no judgment. But, once again, IMHO this shows that Barack Obama puts himself first, even over and above the woman who raised and nurtured him.

The link above the video has more not only about the Senator’s grandmother but also his treatment of his own mother. Sometimes it’s not words but actions which speaks volumes about the character of a man or woman. This, I believe is one of those times.

14But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 19:14 KJV

As I was reading this story the Bible verse quoted above kept going through my head.

A local woman is accused of beating her young grandson so badly he lost consciousness, police said.

According to police, Delores Henderson, 55, was walking down the street, hitting the two-year-old in the stroller and slamming it into the curb.

“People driving in the area of Dixon at this boulevard were witnessing this woman hitting this child,” Barbara Matthews with Cocoa police said.

The incident occurred at the intersection of Fiske and Dixon Boulevard in Cocoa.

Police arrived after being contacted by witnesses. Police said the beatings didn’t stop, even after Henderson dumped the boy out of his stroller and on to the concrete.

“As he drove up, he saw her hitting the child in the head. She was slapping him with her open hand,” Matthews said. “The officer described it as looking like a rag doll. She threw him back in the stroller and started to hit him again.”

An officer was eventually able to wrestle Henderson away from the child. The boy got up after being briefly unconscious.

There are times when you don’t feel like watching your grandchildren because you want to do something else, but you watch them anyway and you love them for all you’re worth.

I’m sure all grandparents feel the same way my husband and I and Sue and her husband feel about our grandchildren: If I knew they were so much fun I would have had them first!

To hear the voice of a little boy trying to sound grown-up, calling to ask for money for the American Heart Association makes my heart melt and, though he doesn’t know it, I would give everything I have to please him.

Not spoil him because we realize they have certain responsibilities, but we spoil them a lot more than we did our own children, even though we make them mind. I can’t tell you how much I love our four grandchildren.

Children are a gift from God. Why in the world would an adult slap a child until he lost consciousness for a few minutes? I was going to say, “And in public”, but I’m glad it was in public because she got reported and the little guy got saved from abuse.

The story doesn’t mention his mother or where he is now, but I can imagine Jesus was in Heaven intervening on that boy’s behalf. Who knows what plans God has for this little innocent?

When the disciples tried to hold back children who had been brought to Jesus to be touched and blessed Jesus got angry and told them to let the children come to Him because such is the Kingdom of Heaven.

He has time for all of us regardless of age and I somehow think He has a special spot in His heart for children.

May this little boy grow up knowing and loving Jesus, and may he be used by the Lord to lead many more people to Him.

This hymn has special significance to me.

When my grandmother lay dying, in a semi-coma, we somehow were the only ones in the house. I sat next to her bed and held her hand and told her “They tell me you’re going to leave me in a few days. I want you to know how much I love you and will miss you, but we’ll see each other again.”

I then thought of the following song, but I couldn’t remember the words to the main part of the song; only the chorus (where the men join in).

As I hummed the hymn I then picked up on the chorus: In the sweet bye and bye, we shall meet on that beautiful shore. In the sweet bye and bye we shall meet on that beautiful shore.”

I then had one of the most precious experiences of my life as my beloved grandmother squeezed my hand as I sang those words. Even though she was in a semi-coma she was telling me she knew what I was saying and was agreeing with it.

It’s a memory I’ll take to my grave.

I hope you like the song.

Today our granddaughter Kelsey turned nine years old. My husband and I sang “Happy Birthday” in off-key voices to her early this morning.

Kelsey was born early and tipped the scales at a bit under six pounds, and, we found out late on the night of her birth, had a serious problem with her stomach and had to have emergency surgery the next day.

I got to Florida, where they then lived, shortly after her birth. When I entered her mother’s room Kelsey was lying at the doorway waiting to be wheeled out by the nurse to what I thought was the nursery. It actually was to be NICU. She couldn’t hold down any food.

Because I thought there would be plenty of opportunities to hold her I resisted and instead talked to her in her bassinette, telling her how much Grandma loved her. She made tiny sounds.

What a head of hair that baby had!

The next days were pure hell for me as I watched this tiny little life lying in a bassinette with tubes going into every conceivable place and then some. I was unable to do anything but hold her hand and stroke her head. Of course I kissed her, and of course I prayed to God she would be OK. I can only begin to imagine how my son and daughter-in-law felt. Her IQ has since been tested and found to be 146.

They even tested her for Down’s Syndrome because she slept with her thumbs in a different position from most babies, and it was then that our son and I christened her “Special K”. Fortunately, her mother didn’t know what the reason was for the DNA tests, and I wasn’t sure my son did at first.

I wasn’t able to hold her until my next visit, which was when she was three months old.

Today she is an accomplished prize-winning figure skater, she is a prize-winning cheerleader for a youth football team, she does Tai Kwon Do, and is a beautiful, smart, and healthy nine year old.

Excuse me for the personal post, but I want to wish our second born granddaughter, and third born grandchild a very, very happy birthday today.

Wait until tomorrow.

To all the mothers and grandmothers out there we wish you all a very happy Mother’s Day.

If you are fortunate enough to still have your mother around please give her a hug and a kiss for me as mine has been gone for seven years now.

If you are a grandmother you are special as we all know how wonderful our grandchildren are and we seem to be a bit more lenient with them than we were with our children at the same age.

God bless each and every one of the mothers and grandmothers in this world today and always.