I am blessed....

 It only takes a phone call, a text, or a few words spoken, to build up or tear down someone.  That's a profound statement, don't you think? 

How many times have we gotten a phone call that left us feeling bewildered, perhaps angry, and truly irritated.  I think we all have had those.  Then there is the one that makes you feel loved and blessed.

How many times has a text come over our phone that we read and then determine it ticks us off so  much that we aren't even going to bother to respond.  Oh yeah.  Some days we all get those.  Then there is the one that makes you feel loved and blessed.

Let's not even go into what we see on Facebook or Instagram and just feel that "whatever" feeling, and just move on!  I'm pretty sure we've all seen those - and maybe even posted some that would be that way to others!  But then there is the one that makes you feel loved and blessed.... or you have blessed someone else.

But last night, I was feeling pretty good. 

I have a granddaughter who lives in another city.  We don't get to see each other very often, sometimes only once to three times a year and then only for a couple hours, between their schedules and ours.  This little girl stole my heart years ago as my very first princess.  Taking her to the park when she was small and taking three (yes THREE!) rolls of film  of her is a memory.  As is taking her at 2 to get her photo taken at K-Mart in a red party dress that I had bought her.  She was so tired, but she was such a trooper and I have a favorite photo of her that warms my heart.  Plus a lot of other memories....

Last week she text'd me "You have been on my mind a lot today.  I wanted to pop in and remind you that I love you so much. xoxo" (with a heart attached).  Yeah, that warmed my heart.  

It's those unexpected texts from the grandchildren that make my day.  I've actually had even three grandsons do that over this last summer.  Just a text that says "I love you so much, grandma".  That's all this grandma needs to hear to bring me joy.

Anyway.... Tuesday night I had sent her a text and asked about Christmas ideas for her family.  She didn't respond until last night and she responded with this long text with ideas .... and then asked about us.  She commented on my having to go back to the office in January (possibly) and asked how I felt about it.  She knew I had started on my baking already and then my heart warmed with these words.... "I miss getting to drive up the road to bake with you.  Every time Tamsyn wears the red apron (that she had worn when she was a small child at grandma's house baking cookies) to cook it makes me think about those days."

My life is complete.  I wanted to leave memories of fun times with the grandchildren.  And she remembers the times of baking cookies together.  Of laughter, of joy.  

We ended our texts with my longing for my granddaughter and great-granddaughter coming up one day before Christmas and us baking cookies together.  Maybe even her mama would come if she isn't working, and we could have four generations baking together.  That would be a memory, yes?  But even so, just to get to bake with my granddaughter and great-granddaughter would be a special memory to hold in my heart.

I so miss those days of little ones coming over to bake or to make crafts.  It's so much harder now because the grandchildren have grown up and some have jobs, some have married, some have children - or are getting ready to have a child very soon!  Since this little princess was 2 years old, until she got married and moved to another city, she was with me every year at Christmas to bake cookies.  As have most of the grandchildren.  Not all, for various reasons, but most of them.   But I still have some of them coming over at some time in December to bake cookies and Christmas mice.   I have a smaller kitchen this year, but it's ok.  It will be filled with love and laughter..... and special memories.

Those are my treasured memories, and when they remember those times, then I feel blessed because they are such good memories.  Besides this granddaughter, I've had a grandson wanting to make sure he gets included in the cookie baking this year.

They will never know how much joy that brings to my heart.  I love each one of them so much and regret that I have not been a bigger part of their lives growing up.  Between work and life, it just wasn't always possible to be involved.   With a couple grandchildren we have been included in a lot of things, but it just depended on what was going on at the time.

But this one.  She is my first.  She may have stolen her mommy and daddy's heart years ago, but she also captured mine.

And now with great-grandchildren coming along, I'm hoping to start new treasured memories.  My time here on earth isn't guaranteed to be long and I want to make memories even they can remember while I can.  I want to make memories that can last beyond my lifetime.

I am truly blessed.