11 Months Old!

Dear Baby G,

Eleven months have somehow passed, and you have gone from a tiny and helpless newborn to a thriving and busy little man.

This letter is over a week late because it’s been a tough couple weeks for Mommy.  Last week, your great-grandfather passed away.  You first met him when you were three months old.  He was absolutely tickled with your light hair and eyes and the fact that you didn’t cry when he held you.  He proudly paraded you around a Chinese restaurant, introducing you to all his friends.  “Happy baby!” he said.

I feel simultaneously lucky that he got to meet you and sad that you will never really get to know him.  He was a man who loved life, who worked hard, who delighted in simple pleasures and who sought to learn and connect with everyone he met.  These are the qualities I wish for you as you carry forth his legacy.

He was just one of many, many people who love you.  When you read this one day and wonder what this man that you can’t remember was like, know this: that you should strive to be generous and forgiving with yourself and others.  Do this, and you will not only know what your great-grandfather was like, you will exemplify it.

Love,

Mommy