Grandchildren

A few words about my absence. Nothing earth shattering has happened. I simply find myself busy all the time, in spite of being retired. It is a good kind of busy and I am grateful to have our family to keep me on the go. Spending time with our grandson, Avery, is a real treat. I was in Toronto for the better part of a week and I have to admit that Toronto is winning me over. We left Brampton twenty-five years ago because we did not want to live in that huge GTA area. Funny how life changes. We now go there so often that our car pretty well drives itself. I have stopped thinking of Toronto as simply one unruly, gigantic blob but rather as a collection of many interesting neighbourhoods. Now, when I walk along Danforth Avenue or take Avery to one of the many parks, it feels like a community, not a metropolis.

Avery is changing by the day. It is so entertaining to watch him learn new skills like walking, talking, climbing up into a chair, spooning food into his mouth, pointing out people as their names are called, and pointing to people and items in a story book. 

At the same time that we admire his accomplishments, we are journeying with a couple of family members who are living with Alzheimers Disease. Many of the afore mentioned skills that Avery is now mastering are the very ones that are slipping away from our other loved ones. It is sad to witness their decline.

Days with Avery start early but that is a small price to pay for the privilege of reading with a little one in bed.

Here in Ottawa for the Victoria Day weekend, we took Avery to see the tulips at Dow's Lake. Because of the late spring, the tulips were at their peak for the long weekend, which is rare. I don't think he was particularly impressed with the flowers, but it made for some memorable photos.

A couple of weeks ago I met a friend that I had not seen for a long time. When he asked what was keeping us busy these days I told him about Avery and his expected sibling. "Ah," he replied, "Grandchildren..the dessert of life." Amen!