I celebrate milestones wholeheartedly. I do not let one slip by.
I celebrate birthdays of family members (my immediate family as well as my family of origin). I celebrate my own milestone birthdays. (For example, last year, I turned 66. There was a Route 66 theme for the day since we live near this historical highway.) I make a point to remember the parents and pets who have passed on their death day. Because I am grateful for the beautiful bride God provided over 44 years ago, I commemorate our dating, engagement, and wedding anniversaries without fail. I’ve attended graduations and other major accomplishments. Ten years ago, I became a grandfather and I am celebrating that.
I wrote these thoughts below one week after my first grandson was born. I posted this article on my personal blog, but not this one. Now that he has turned ten, perhaps it is time I shared these initial reflections on the impact of this life-changing milestone with a wider audience to bless others.
My first grandson was born in April 2015. His parents are my daughter and her husband. I am now a grandfather. What a great thing to become!
The first time I saw him in the hospital room, he took my breath away. He was just nine hours’ old. I had not seen a newborn baby in a long time. But he wasn’t just any baby. He was the baby of our baby. My own flesh and blood. The little boy we had anticipated for a long time was finally here.
I remember the first time I got to hold him. It was an amazing feeling. And when I got to greet him by the name his parents picked out, I got all choked up. I knew that this was just the beginning of a very special bond between this little boy and me that would bless me for the rest of my natural life.
The next two days we visited with my daughter at the hospital were a blur, as were the three days that we hung out with her and our grandson at their home. We did the usual things that grandparents do. We held the baby as often as was needed so that our daughter could get some rest, changed the baby occasionally, took care of meals, etc. The times where he was quietly sleeping in my arms or on my shoulder were very special to me. I cherished every precious moment I was given with him.
I recall thinking a lot of deep thoughts throughout the past week. One of the ideas that kept coming back to me was that having a baby would give our daughter some insights as to why her parents did what we did as we raised her all those years ago. I was hoping that she would be having many “aha” moments along the way as she assumed the role of responsible parent over this child’s life.
Another thought I had was of gratitude for this major milestone in our daughter’s life. She graduated from high school, college, and graduate school. She married the love of her life. She has a great job, is independent, serving the Lord, and enjoying her life. And now she brings this wonderful child into this world, fully welcoming all of the trials and joys that go along with becoming a parent.
While holding him, I would often be reminded of what it was like holding my own three children, now all grown up. I thought about the joyful times we had, but also remembered many mistakes that I made with each of them. It made me thankful for the grace and forgiveness of God.
I also thought about my two grandmothers and the grandparents my kids had. With rare exceptions, our parents were not that involved with our kids. They were not the “hands on” type, as was somewhat typical of generations past. I looked forward to being the kind of grandfather who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, and I had several opportunities to demonstrate that the past few days.
I am also determined to be a spiritual influence in the lives of my grandchildren, something that neither I nor my kids experienced. By the grace of God, we raised our three kids in a Christian home, and now we will purposefully seek to impart God’s love and wisdom to this new generation.
As we were thinking about heading home Friday, I had a moment to myself with my grandson. He was sleeping peacefully again in my arms. I knew it was about feeding time and I would have to hand him over to his beautiful but very tired mother. I got very emotional, as I am right now reflecting on the experience.
I dwelled on the fact that this would be the last time I would hold him for a few months. My eyes filled with tears because I knew ours would be a long-distance relationship. We would get to see him at some holidays and the occasional trip here or back home, but he would grow so much in-between visits. This is the way it must be, but it is hard to know how much he will remember me. I told him how much I loved him and said I would pray for him every day.
This adventure of grandparenting is just beginning. I will have to continue in God’s grace and mercy.
Russell E. Gehrlein holds a B.S. from Colorado State University and an M.A. from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. A retired Master Sergeant, he continues to serve the U.S. Army in a civilian capacity. He and his wife of 43 years live in Missouri and enjoy spending time with their grandchildren. To read more of his work please visit Reflections on Theological Topics of Interest.
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