for babies

Greetings this cold February morning from here along the Western Slopes where the snow has finally decided to stop falling, for now.  The mountains around us have received up to 3 feet of the "white stuff" from the latest winter storm and back home in Kansas, my friends and family are still shoveling out from the nearly 12 inches of snow that they received.  Spring, where are you? 

Nearly 2,000 miles to the north west of us, my son and daughter-in-law are counting down the final few weeks before the birth of their firstborn child.  I get the chance to talk with them regularly throughout the week and to learn of how things are going for them in their life together on the small island called "Whidbey Island" in the Puget Sound area of Washington State.  I hear the excitement in their voices as they speak about the anticipation of their baby's arrival sometime around March 3rd.  They still do not know if it is a boy or a girl, nor do they want to find out.  Either way, this child will be much loved and wanted.  God blesses us.

Last night, Mike began the process of packing a box with a few of the things that I'd been saving from all of Ricky's early years to send on to Whidbey Island.  One of the things that I'd been meaning to send but had difficulty finding the proper way to ship it, was the little child's rocker from my Grandmother Brown.  It's pretty fragile as well it should be for being 114 years old, so we decided last evening to get it wrapped up tight in some bubble wrap with hopes it will survive the journey. 

Mike has a much steadier hand than I do these days so he made "short order" of encasing the wooden rocker in its cocoon of green bubble wrap.  He may be able to figure out this "grandfather" thing pretty quickly. 

When I went back home to Hutchinson a few weeks ago, I was going through some more odds and ends, the leftovers that I had not yet moved and I found several more little items to tuck in along side the rocker in its journey to the Great Northwest.  Although they are worn and tattered, the pieces that will be added to the box have a lot of special memories attached to them.  It is my wish for my son to be able to hold them in his hands and to know that once they belonged to a precious first born baby from long, long ago.  My first born baby, a little guy that we called "Richard Shelby Miller, III" better known to his mother as "Ricky". 

The little doll from my own childhood, some of Ricky's stuffed animals that survived his childhood, a shirt that I had missed packing in from one of the first boxes I sent out, a book that I have read to children over the years.  All will be placed inside of the packing box. 

Two special things that are making the journey are held in my hands in the photo above.  The little stuffed lamb that kind of/sort of plays a little song still even after all of these nearly 34 years, was a gift from a dear sweet woman who has now gone on to her Heavenly home.  I used to wind up that little thing and press it to my swollen belly and let the baby inside of me hear a song before I lay down for the night.  I did that every night for nearly a month before my Ricky was born on the 2nd day of October, 1980.  I was so young, although now 24 seems old to have been having my first baby.  I had no clue what to expect as far as delivering a baby would involve, never realized all the times I'd be sitting up at night with a sick infant or later on in life with a teenager out with his friends.  There were lots of adventures awaiting me as a new mom, some of them scary yet most of them not too bad at all.  The little blue hat was the first thing they put on that over 8 pound baby's head.  Dear women from the auxiliary at Hutchinson Hospital knitted not only that one but hundreds of others used as "head warmers" for the many babies born back in Reno County, Kansas.  I have kept it safely in a cedar chest for now well over 3 decades.  How nice that perhaps it can get some use once again.

I have come to realize that I am finally at a time in my own life when it seems wonderful, perfectly "ok", and the right thing to begin letting go of stuff that really should be in the hands of others now.  Letting go of these items and putting them into the hands of my son and daughter-in-law is just the start.  "Travelling light" is a concept, a notion that I've been entertaining for some time now and this first movement towards that is just the beginning.  And you know what?  It really feels pretty good!

The clock on the wall says it's time to get going.  The roads are snowy and icy here so I'll need to take some extra time as I travel along.  I am thinking of my family and friends back in the Midwest and hoping that all are safe and very well.  Hang on friends because winter cannot last forever.  It only foolishly thinks that it can.  I love you guys all and carry you right here in my heart each day.  Be at peace.

Some day perhaps that little "Miller baby" shall make a snowman with his/her Grandma Peggy.  You never know, it could happen :)

The day I stood alongside some handsome young men.  The two to my left belong to me and although I'm not the mother of the third fellow, I would claim him as well.