Kidquips 3

October 19, 2009 | My Jottings

I am a very blessed person. I am blessed with a family. I am blessed with sight. I am blessed with mobility. I’m blessed with friends. I’m blessed with provision. I am blessed with the certainty of God’s nearness and care. I am blessed with hope. I am blessed with love. And perhaps at this time in my life, no other love goes down deeper into my soul than the love of my grandchildren. I don’t know how they do it, but somehow they know how to say just the right thing, squeeze just the right hug, which sends pure, nourishing, liquid love down into the driest, darkest nooks and crannies of my soul. *Sigh*

And my grandchildren make me laugh.

Last week I picked up Clara and Elijah after school for another W.W.G., which I will explain and write about soon. We were almost home when Clara said softly from the backseat, “Grandma, I love you so much, sometimes it makes me cry when I think of you.”

I knew exactly what she was talking about, and told her so. Sometimes love is so intense it feels wonderful and awful, thrilling and painful at the same time. I told her I feel this kind of love for my grandchildren quite often, and that it’s normal for some people to feel love in such a way that it causes an ache or a yearning.

I saw her nod sagely in the rear view mirror, and then she added, “Grandma, sometimes I love you so much that when I think of you a tear runs down my face here, and I feel a little pain right here in my heart.”

Oh my, I thought. This little seven year-old girl feels and expresses love so deeply, and as we pulled into our driveway I had to suppress the tears myself as I pondered what Clara was saying.

Elijah had been attentive but quiet for most of this conversation, and I could see in my mirror that he was soberly taking it all in and giving it careful six year-old consideration.

As I eased the van into the garage and hit the button on the visor to close the door behind us, Elijah nodded at me and then commented casually but completely in earnest, “Yes, and sometimes when I think of how I miss you and love you, it hurts me right here in my neck.”

🙂