My granddaughter makes my dark days bright and brings balance to the most uncertain of times.  She’s only two years old but she is blessed with a spirit that has the power to transform.  I’ve seen it happen time and time again.  Not just to me but to others, too.  And each time I am amazed and convinced that God has a special plan for her. 

Her name Anna means “favored by God”, which is completely appropriate but it seems that each of us that know her has also been favored by God.  She makes everyone that she encounters feel better for having had the experience.  Of course it is impossible for me to be completely objective but others will confirm what I say.  Anna has it!  Whatever it is (that thing that most of us go through life searching for but may never find).

Recently three things happened: 

First, we were at my in-laws and she saw a photo of my wife’s grandmother (this would be Anna’s great-great grandmother).  Mimi has been gone from us for about ten years now.  Anna of course would never have known her.  She passed by the photo and said “there’s Mimi!”  It was as if Mimi had entered the room and Anna instantly knew her!  Now she may have previously seen a photo of Mimi and may have been told who she was, but remember, she’s only two.  So there she was recognizing Mimi and calling her name and it felt as if Mimi was suddenly in our midst.  We had the sense that Mimi was somehow “touching us” through Anna.

Secondly, we were at the Grotto at church for the recitation of the Rosary.  May is the month of the Rosary and this is done each day in May.  Anna hadn’t been to the Grotto in months and we weren’t sure if she would have the ability to stay still for the 20 minutes or so that we would be there.  At one point she got a little too playful and our daughter Bess reminded her that Jesus was on the crucifix of the Rosary that she was holding.  Anna then felt compelled to share that information with the dozen or so people there.  She tip-toed up to each person and whispered “this is Jesus!” while pointing to her Rosary.  Her simple act put a smile on each person’s face and I believe that her shared joy reminded us all why we were there in the first place.

Finally, my wife’s friend spent the night with us while traveling through town.  Anna loves her and after seeing her that evening decided to include her name in her “litany” of “God bless, Mommy, Daddy, Anna, etc…” at bedtime.  That was all her doing.  She decided that she would include her in her prayers.

I know that these are simple things but no less meaningful.  Am I more keenly aware of how special she is because she’s my granddaughter and I love her so much?  Or is she “favored by God”?  It doesn’t matter.  What is important is that her tiny presence makes a difference.  How many little ones are in your life?  How many insignificant people (by society’s standards) do you know?  How many angels has God placed in your life?  It’s easy for us to pay attention to the important and powerful people in our lives but maybe theirs is not the message we need to hear.  As for me, I’m going to keep listening to Anna…

 Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

My 5 year old granddaughter Charlise coined that phrase – I think it’s a combination of “oh my gosh” and “holy cow”.  But that’s the enchantment of being a 5 year old.  You can make up your own words or phrases and use them with complete abandon.  No one would ever think to say to her, “don’t you mean…?” 

Charlise has a spirit and confidence that most adults would envy.  She “knows” what she means and it’s your job to figure it out.  She embraces each day as an adventure and makes the most commonplace experiences seem exciting and new.  She has glee!  And I love spending time with her because sometimes I get to “come along for the ride”.  Recently we went to see a high school production of Cinderella and her enthusiasm and delight made me want to be a five year-old again (if only for that evening).  Watching her wait in anticipation of the applause was sheer joy!

My Aunt Gene Marie is a 91 year old nun.  After 70 years of religious life and 45 plus years of teaching she is now struggling with Alzheimer’s.  She was once a math and religion teacher, a principal, and a librarian.  Today she spends her days in quiet prayer.  But she remains joyful! 

It occurs to me that in many ways Aunt Gene and Charlise are eclipsing one another.  As Charlise’s world becomes more and more grown-up she is losing some of her innocence.  Some of her unbridled spirit is being diluted by her need to ‘fit in’ with friends and pre-school classmates.  I know that this is normal peer pressure and necessary socialization but soon she will know that “oh my cow” is not something that EVERYONE says and I’m afraid it will be lost.  Aunt Gene is becoming increasingly confused about names, places and current events.  She can tell you in great detail about her first day at Sacred Heart School in Florissant 85 years ago but she likely does not know what she ate for lunch today.  She is beginning to abandon accepted social norms in favor of expressing herself in a way that she chooses – with sometimes amusing results.  In a way she is like a preschooler using familiar names and themes to relate to a larger outside world.  And she possesses an innocence now that is both beautiful and heartbreaking. 

And so it goes…

Charlise is growing up and becoming an independent little person.  She has security and confidence in her world.  All too soon, she will be in ‘real school’ and she will be influenced by teachers, classmates, coaches, friends’ parents, etc.  Her world will get bigger and bigger.

Aunt Gene will continue to descend into the murky waters of dementia and lose more and more contact with the outside world.  Meanwhile her sphere of influence is becoming increasingly smaller.  But like Charlise, she has glee!  She isn’t sad about her situation – and that’s a blessing.  And I like spending time with her because sometimes I get to “come along for the ride”, too. 

God’s hand is at work in all of this, protecting them both.  Now I must let go of my need to keep things as they are.  Oh my cow!