The Three Minute Grandparent

The Three Minute Grandparent: Granddaughter Our 16 month old Granddaughter spent a week with us.  Her parents also came to supervise the fun that Grandma, Grandpa and Granddaughter had during 8 days of romping around the house, walks outside, visiting Glacier National Park and roaming around Missoula.  We had a blast playing with and getting to know our little girl on a day by day basis. Our little girl lives too many miles away and too many fun times apart from us.  She arrived with our Son and Daughter in Law and proceeded to steal our hearts from the moment we met them at the airport.  We observed her greeting everyone in the airport with “hi…hi…hi,” then stomp her feet if the greeting was not answered.  She walked, no, RAN everywhere her little feet would take her.  She enjoyed the train at Southgate Mall, the Carousel in downtown Missoula, and rode on Daddy’s back all the way up to Hidden lake Lookout in Glacier Park. Grandparents found themselve...

The day began as a single college guy and closed as a college couple.   Sunday dawned and I was nervous.   I had my tuxedo; shirt, pants, tie, yes and even the cufflinks.   Everything fit as I slowly added each piece of the wardrobe and began to look like a groom.   My family met me at the church and other guys in the male part of the wedding party.   My Father as best man tried to encourage me; one young married friend was telling all of the negatives of getting married while another unmarried friend had no idea where this would lead.   The organ began playing and I entered with my best man, led by our pastor friend (who was sick from food poisoning – of which I was blissfully ignorant).   Couple by couple, the ladies were escorted down the isle by the men in the party, then she appeared…the lady of my dreams, Rhonda, escorted by our adopted Father, Thurman Barrow.   My eyes were glued on Rhonda, this lovely apparition all in white with long brow...

“I feel like a rich man,” said one of the characters in the movie Courageous.   Habiere, gazing into the mirror and admiring his new suit, made the comment.   His wife commented, “You are a rich man; you have a strong faith with children that love you and a wife who adores you.”   What more could a man or grandfather want?   So much in life is fleeting or even false, yet to have someone who loves and cares for you is one of life’s treasures.   A strong faith comes from loving and being loved by the God of the universe.   As a husband for 39 years, a father for almost 35 and a grandfather for 2 ½ years, I can say that I am blessed beyond measure.   My faith began as a child in my parent’s home, observing their faith and wanting it, too.   My own relationship with Jesus began at age 12 and continues to grow.   I continue to find that I am a rich man, not in money, but in relationships; learning more about my loving wife each day and lovi...