Another Family Birthday

Saturday our K-State team tumbled from euphoria into heartbreak when they lost the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament to Butler. They had a great season, but it's hard to go out on a loss. They are, after all, still kids even though they look like grown men. As number one fans, we were heartsick, too.

But Sunday morning, my spirits lifted when I looked at the calendar and remembered that March 28th was our granddaughter's birthday. Gracen is now eleven and finishing the fifth grade.

I thought back to the time of her birth. We made a trip to Chicago to visit friends knowing the new baby Kirk and Amy expected was not due for another three weeks. I was on call to go to Dallas to help out when the baby arrived as Amy's mom is a school librarian and unable to take a week off.

We spent Saturday evening with a group of old friends, and when we got back to the house where we were staying, there was a phone message for us. "We're on the way to the hospital." My son's voice came through loud and clear. We went to bed, but I lay awake a long time waiting for the phone to ring again. And ring it did, about 3 a.m. Gracen Lynn had made her appearance 3 weeks earlier than expected, but she was doing fine.

We made the nine hour trip home the next day, followed by another 7 1/2 the following day to Dallas. What a tiny budle of joy Gracen was. I remember her daddy holding her, and she kept her eyes on his face the entire time she lay in his arms. Studying, remembering, enjoying! She's still like that. Aware of the people and surroundings, taking it all in.

She's also a very good student, a fantastic drummer, a voracious reader, and a very nice person we're proud to claim as our granddaughter. She'll be moving on to the middle school next fall, where I'm sure she'll be as involved in activities as her older sister has been.

She had a banana cream pie instead of birthday cake. She's not afraid to change tradition. She'll do just fine in this world, I think. Happy Birthday, Gracen!