Grandfather used to ask God to help him with this or that.
He says he hasn’t done that for quite awhile now, but he is moved to thank God when one of His gifts comes Grandfather’s way.
The miracle of birth is one of those gifts. For example:
Seeing his children born; Grandfather says he was one of the early “natural childbirth” freaks, back in 1957.
Or seeing a newborn calf totter to its feet, up under mama for its first breakfast …
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About the Author: RD Blakeslee is a nonagenarian in West Virginia who built his net worth by only investing in that which can be enjoyed during acquisition and throughout life, as opposed to papers in a drawer, like stocks and bonds. You can read more about him here. This article was originally published on 28 September 2017.
Original oil painting by: Grandfather’s wife
Beautifully said, Grandfather!
Thank you, Sharon.
Do you ever put your thoughts about life in writing? They can be a gift for those you love.
I am a scribbler. When some thought comes to me, I write it down on whatever scrap paper is handy.
I will be going through papers and find deep thoughts on the backs of envelopes, church bulletins, and ads.
A friend of mine is a recently retired minister. I wrote down that I wanted him to stand up at the end of my funeral and yell, “He didn’t like none of Ya’ll!”. hahaha
Well, Bill, You’re lucky you can find your deep thought scribbles. At my age, deep thoughts get buried under other stuff if I don’t put them on the CPU right away.
Not since I was a teenager!
Prob’ly woulda’ been the same here (homework assignments), except for being in the Army and writing to Grandmother-to-be and many years later, Len’s encouragement.
Very good post. I will be dealing with some of these issues as well..
We all do, in various ways. The Mysteries of the soul’s existence cannot be probed.
Awesome article.
Thank you, Kendra.
The perfect article for the best time of year!
Glad it appealed to you, Madison.
It’s just obvious that some of God’s gifts can come from no one else.
I always used to think of a baby’s toes and fingers (in all the right numbers with the appropriate tiny little nails) and sometimes just the knowledge that an oak tree starts out as an acorn.
Merry Christmas, Dave.
Hey, Gee, welcome back! haven’t heard from you for awhile.
When our babies were tiny, I used to wake up when Grandmother nursed them at night. It was a wonderment, each time. I thought they smelled like seeds of grain, and said to them, You’re all seedy! Speaking of the oak’s progress, in some ways I remain a nut, I suppose …
Merry Christ’s Mass to you, too!
This doesn’t really belong here but, as Willy Loman’s Wife said in “Death of a Salesman”: “Attention must be paid” …
A great American and writer, Joan Didion, has died.
For young people especially, who have not read her works: Read them. They will ring true to your perceptions of the troubles you experience in these times.
Wow, she was born on my birthday, December 5th — different year, though (1934).
Love,
Your 1957 daughter
Confucius Say: “Great Minds Sometimes Same Birthday.” 😀
Love,
Dad
Thank you Mr. Dave for reminding us to notice the wonder around us.
As injuries slowed me down, I was able to notice the things others in the park missed. One time, a small bird flew out of the brush, attached itself to my side, and sat there looking up at me. It stayed until someone else came along and scared it off. I call those tiny moments, kisses from Heaven.
Thank you very much for sharing that, Bill. Tatjana feeds the birds oilseeds and the Chckadees land on her all the time.
It’s interesting to think about birds’ place in literature. The dove’s visit to Noah’s ark, Poe’s raven, Hitchcock’s “The Birds” …