My beautiful eldest granddaughter was recently accepted into the college of her choice. She and her mom spent today touring the school and she is enraptured, which makes me so happy.
I should explain that this child and I have a very special bond. On the day she was born, I flew from my home in New York to Los Angeles to spend the evening with my daughter and her husband in her room at Cedars awaiting the birth of their first child, and my first grandchild. I had received a call in my office from my daughter that morning telling me that although the hospital had sent her home telling her "she wasn't ready," she felt she would soon be returning. I turned to the girl who covered my phones and told her I was leaving for home as soon as I notified my boss. He had been put on notice and expected I'd be away for a two-week stay. I had promised my daughter I would be the "baby" nurse. As soon as I hung the phone up on my daughter I called JFK, booked my flight, called a cab and off I ran.
I arrived at my daughter's apartment that evening to find a note on the door telling me to go to the hospital. I dropped my bag, summoned back the cab, and off I went. I got to the hospital and found my daughter and son-in-law in "the celebrity suite." It was the only available birthing room available. My daughter, bless her, was unbelievable. So calm, and so brave. Not a wince out of her, unlike what one expects from movies and television. I had two children, and had them during the brief period that was called "painless birth." I was given a shot and told to count to 10 backward. The next thing I knew both times was that I had delivered beautiful daughters. The first delivery took five hours; my second, one hour. I have no recollection of each. I awoke to be told I was a mother.
Watching my daughter hour after hour, never complaining, and refusing until almost the end to take a shot was amazing. At 8:10 a.m. the following morning, as I sat on a chair at the side of my daughter, I watched my tiny little perfect granddaughter make her way into the world. Once the nurse had taken her from her parents and placed her onto a tiny table to clean her up, I left my daughter and rushed to look at my little precious angel. I put my finger into her tiny little hand and she squeezed my finger, and from that moment on we have had the most special bonding.
Today, 18 years later, my little perfect baby spent the day touring the college she will be attending next fall. She just sent me a message on my phone, which says, "Will you come visit me during parents weekend this fall? Mother and Father probs can't come."
I don't think she realized how much this meant to me. I have tears in my eyes as I write this. I would fly anywhere to fulfill almost any request she might make of me, but this one is easy.
I am so blessed to have her and my other two grandchildren in my life. I can't wait for next May when they are both standing in a temple celebrating their 13th birthdays. Life is full of joys and sadness. I am so lucky to be able to stand straight and feel the love.
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