From Tasmania, Australia: “First Thoughts” by Heather Carey

I have just received the phone call – I am a grandmother!!!  It’s a baby girl and she’s named after my mother.

Three days and 3,000 kms later, here is my daughter standing in front of me with this bundle in her arms.  I cannot compute!  She is the image of my daughter when she was born.  As I look at her I realise this can’t possibly be the same person at two different ages!  I am frozen to the spot and don’t know what to do.  So I just stand there–dumb and in a bubble where all sounds are muted–while people are talking and laughing around me.  Then I notice my granddaughter’s ears – aha!  They are her father’s and it is like the jigsaw piece drops into place.  The world starts to move again.  NOW I can hold my first grandchild.

Later that night she is quite distressed and crying.  After some time, I climb out of bed, suggesting that my daughter rest while I take over for a little while.  I hold the baby out in front of me and look into her eyes.  “What’s wrong, Little One?”  I ask her.

She stops crying for a few seconds, makes eye contact with me, and with her little lip trembling I “hear” as clear as a bell: “Oh my God, what have I done?”

I start to cry with her–a rude awakening to the world and her journey, methinks!  (I might add here that she has been born into a loving and nurturing family.)

She is now in her 20’s and has forgotten all this, of course.  She is doing famously and handling her life really well, so I guess the old adage that God never gives us more than we can handle is true!  We are very close, even though many kilometres separate us.  Visits are a treat with lots of catching up.  Granny is a good sounding board for plans for the future and why-do-I-feel-like-this conversations.  I do feel blessed with both my granddaughters.

http://www.reiki-northwest.com.au/