It’s been a busy week friends. Babcia had a whirlwind tour of Jacksonville, Florida… or at least the things that were of interest to her. We had a few delicious dinners and lunches out, we saw the ocean and the beach, we shopped for Polish food at the European grocery, and of course we played cards every evening for bragging rights. Of the six nights we played cards, she only let me win once. It was a glorious, although short-lived victory. Even though she was in Florida, her proud West Virginia roots shone through when she had to correct a young, wide-eyed waitress. We went to dinner at a local diner one evening and were seated by a young lady working that day. She graciously offered to seat us near the door when she saw Babcia using a walker. Babcia told the young lady that she is 79 years old, to which the girl replied, “Well I am 24.” Babcia said, “I am visiting from Huntington, West Virginia.” The waitress said, “Oh yeah? I have a friend in the Navy near there. It must be nice to live near the beach.” Without hesitation Babcia said to her, “No, you are wrong.” The young girl looked at her and then at me, with a totally blank expression on her face. She had no clue it was a totally separate state, and of course she had no clue who she was talking to. I smiled and said, “No, she’s from WEST Virginia, it’s a different state. Not Virginia.” Still clueless. The waitress then said, “Oh. What would you like to drink?”, as she smiled at us both. Babcia is Polish through and through, and she loves Chicago and her Polish roots. She also loves her home state of over forty years though, and she will be quick to tell you all about it.

We prepared to leave Friday morning to make the journey back to West Virginia but were held up by the cutest of delays. As I walked my dog once more before getting into the car, we turned a corner to find a small dog tied to a dumpster with a lanyard. She appeared to be a shi tzu mix of some sort. She was trembling with fear. No telling if she’d been out there all night alone, and there had been a few storms the night before. I cautiously approached her; she was very friendly and came right to me looking for comfort. My heart melted. I spoke calmly to her and then removed the lanyard from the door to the dumpster enclosure, and she leapt with joy at being released. I knew I had to help her, even though it meant delaying our departure. She had a pink collar and a flea collar on, no tags. I took her with my dog back towards my condo, and she delightfully followed my dog. It broke my heart that a person would have left her out there alone all night. I announced to Babcia that we had company as we came through the door; the dog was very well behaved and happy to be with people. After a quick bath in the tub and some food and water, she was jumping for joy. After a few phone calls and texts, we had found someone to take her and care for her. I dropped her off, and Babcia and I were on our way to West Virginia.

It was a long trip after getting a late start, but we made it back. Then Saturday, all my dreams came true when Lindy brought my grandson Brodee to visit and we were able to spend the day together. That little boy holds all our hearts in his tiny hands, and he knows it. It was a day of laughing, smiling, and playing to our hearts’ content. Brodee is vocal now, and says Mama and baba (bottle). He is desperately trying to crawl and any day now I’m sure he’ll be on his way. He is beautiful. I felt all the feelings that every grandparent feels when holding their grandchild. It fills your whole heart with joy. It makes you smile, it makes you laugh, it brings tears to your eyes. It suddenly clarifies the reasons for everything. I look at him and I see my little baby girl in there, along with glimpses of his daddy too, and I am not able to think of any other thing in the world that matters as much as this. He is love and light. He is all the good things. All the aches of driving 12 hours, all the exhaustion of traveling, all the minute irritations of daily life, all my troubles…. gone in an instant. This little boy shows me that everything is new. Each day is a gift, and that we must choose to be happy and to soak it all up. It’s why we are here.

On top of all that, I look out across the ridge at my mom’s house and I see a beautiful view. The air is clean. The hills are quiet except for a breeze. Everything is green and rustling in the wind. I see the shadows of distant hills out over the horizon. I stood for a moment just taking it all in and thinking to myself, THIS is what I needed. This is why I am here, all of it, is why I come here. There is peace to be found here; peace and joy live here. It isn’t perfect, but there is a calm and a love here that fills me up again when I’m running on empty. I need that in my life. Almost heaven? I think not. I am home, and I am fully enveloped by heaven with every breath that I take here. There’s no almost about it.