Friday, October 30, 2009

Dear Granddaughter, from your Granny Kat




Dear Granddaughter:

You aren’t here yet. Everyone is waiting for you to rush out into the big old world. And what a world it is! But, more on that later. For now, I just want to tell you how excited I am that you are to be born. I wish I could be there when it happens, to see your face, count your fingers and toes, stroke your soft newborn cheek. Too far away I am. Too far. But soon, I will be there. I will climb into a big metal bird and fly fly fly all the way to Oregon, all the way from my Great Smoky Mountain little log house. I will then stroke your cheek, rock you in my arms, and I probably will cry as I am about to do now. Your tough old Granny Kat rarely cries, but she would for you, dear one.


I had a funny thought. I was thinking about you 52 years from now, when you would be my age. I imagine you coming to see me as I rock on my porch of my little log house, the creek singing, the house warm inside, my wrinkled face bunched up in a smile to see you. You are the same age as I am now, I am 104. I say to you, “Granddaughter, 52 years ago, I sat on my porch thinking of you, waiting for you to be born. And now, in the blink of a cat’s eye, you have grown into a woman and stand before me 52 years old, the same age I was when I waited for you to come into this old world.” And you smile at me, stroke my wrinkled cheek, grown soft and thin as rice-paper. You say, “Granny Kat, you are crying!” And just as the day you came into the world, just as it will be when I am ready to go out of the old world.


Come soon and then wait for me and I’ll be there as quick as I can. And then the days and days and days will go by in a rush. Oh, it won’t seem so for you at first, but believe me, believe your Granny Kat when she says how quickly the days hurtle forward. I will tell your parents if I could one thing: Enjoy every little moment, for one day you will look back and wonder where all the moments have gone. But that is another story and one that has been told countless times by countless grannies. It will be such as it will be as it forever is.


Don’t be afraid to come into this old world. It is imperfect, but there is so much beauty and wonder to be found. I will see you soon, dear granddaughter…

Love, Your Granny Kat


SHE'S HERE!!!! AFTER A LOONNNNNG WAIT SHE HAS ARRIVED: NORAH KATHRYN FLETCHER! Now I can put up her photo instead of the generic baby photo! yayyy

21 comments:

Glynis Peters said...

I could not help but shed a tear Kat. This is from your heart and I felt it. May you and your Granddaughter share many precious memories over a lifetime.
I wish her a safe journey into the world, a world where she will make a difference. I cannot wait to see your photographs, as I know you will post a few when she arrives.

Ronda's Rants said...

Congratulations! You will experience unspeakable joy in being a grandmother!

Diane said...

So sweetly put. Can't wait for the pics! :O)

Carol Murdock said...

Kat, there is a wonderful reason they are called GRANDchildren and you my friend are about to discover the WHY behind that reason!You will be a wonderful Granny Kat! Lucky little girl, she is! :)

Amy said...

Yea for you!! What a wonderful time of life--to be awaiting something so special. I love that pic of those little tootsies! I wonder if you'll be different as a grandmother than you were as a mom. I know my parents are! They were (are) wonderful parents, but as I watch them grandparent, I sometimes look at them like they've landed from another planet. I say, "who are you, and what have you done with my parents??" They've lightened up a lot since raising me and my sister and brother. But I guess with age comes wisdom, right?

Analisa said...

How wonderful. Lovely post Kat and what a great thing to wait for the grandbaby.

Barry said...

That was a beautiful letter Kat, touching and honest.

But I suspect there is soon going to be one very new and spoiled and very lucky granddaughter in the world.

Susan R. Mills said...

Do you know how much your granddaughter will cherish that letter in the future? Beautiful.

Deb said...

That was beautiful Kat. And so exciting!!! You have a lot of magical moments to look forward to :)

Tana said...

Granny Kat, I love that! I'm crying with you. can't wait for you to post a picture of that sweet face one day.

Tamika: said...

Lovely Kat. You sound like the best kind of grandma.

Please let us see pictures!

Patience-please said...

Oh Kat. Your words are like sweet coconut cake on a Sunday afternoon with a closest friend.
thank you

Jessica Nelson said...

Yay, yay, yay!!!! You're going to be the best grandma ever. :-) Congrats!

Kasie West said...

Ah, that is so sweet. My parents tell me grandkids are the best. Before my father passed away he would say, "it's nice to see you, Kasie, but where are my grandbabies." After he passed, I read one of his journal entries that said, "I saw Hannah (which is my daugher) and her parents today." I laughed so hard. There is just something special about the relationship of kids and their grandparents.

Suldog said...

Lovely stuff. Just lovely. She hasn't been born, but she is already blessed.

Karen said...

Awww, Kat, get ready, you will never be the same! Congrats!

Marguerite said...

Congrats, in advance, for your coming grandaughter! I don't have any grands yet, but am looking forward to the day when I do. Lovely post!

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Kat, I'm so happy for you and for little Norah Kathryn (gorgeous name for a gorgeous baby!). May you have many years of sweetness together. ;-)

Jeannette StG said...

Many congrats! The way you feel about your grand daughter is heart warming! Maybe a reason to move more South?

Martha Eskuchen said...

Wonderful!! Congratulations!!

Sheila Deeth said...

Congratulations! ANd what a Lovely welcome you give her.