On October 8,  more than two weeks behind schedule my first granddaughter was born.  I waited at the hospital watching Phantom of the Opera on my laptop.  My child had decided early on that only her husband could be present for the actual birth.  I was fine with that, I really did not want to see anyone, least of all a family member coming into this world. 

Unfortunately, my granddaughter took a wrong turn down the birth canal and a C-section was necessary.  So it was a day later before I could see my genetic material.  I walked into the hospital room and saw her.  She was small, soft and fragile.  She looks like a beautiful jewel.  She has lots of dark hair with a little bit of a curl.  She has no eyebrows to speak of but she has eyelashes.  Her skin is soft, her cheeks are plump.  She looks directly at her mother when she talks to her and she loves to be held close.  She has a wonderful cry which she used when her father tried to put a little pink hat on her.  Already she is voicing her opinions.

I studied her carefully.  Did my heart overflow at the sight of my granddaughter?  It did, but not in the way that I expected.  I felt content when I held her and I felt optimism.  I am a true pessimist, glass half-full, we are all going to Hell in a handbasket person.   I am not saying that I had an epiphany and turned into Susy Sunshine.   What I felt was a connection to the human race;  that, if this little scrap of humanity could make it into this world, then maybe this world was not such a bad place after all.

Could I lay aside my cynicism and see the world through the eyes of someone who is fresh and unspoiled?  Can I teach her anything of value?  Would she even want to listen to a Grandma who can rant for 30 minutes about her over-salted  MacDonald fries?  And then write a letter of complaint about them?  Will she want to spend weekends with Grandma  learning to bake and read books?  Will she love Dickens but not the Austens and the Brontes?   I don't know.  I know that the possibilities are endless and that is breathtaking.

So I kiss her downy cheek and I smell her sweet baby scent and know that whatever else happens, something wonderful this way came.