Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 9:13pm By: Rev. Kristi Denham
My first grandchild was born last June. Audrey Sophia Denham was named for my mother, a powerful woman who blanched at the very notion of anyone ever calling her grandma. When my first son was born she toyed with the idea of having him call her Auntie, but in the end was too proud of him and eventually of all her grandchildren not to claim her rightful place in their lives. She was Grandma. And now, I’m Grandma, and proud of it.

I live an hour’s drive from my son, Jesse, and daughter-in-law, Susanna, and my work has me busy on Sundays so this Friday and Saturday were my first real opportunities to take care of little Audrey. She’s almost eleven months old and already taking her first tentative steps. She has a smile that brightens any room, and she bestows it indiscriminately on anyone who will smile back.

She has learned to clap her hands and loves to encourage others to do the same. Then she lifts her arms high in the air and declares, “Yeah!” with glee. If we follow suit she giggles and claps her hands and has us all doing it again.

We had a brief family reunion a few weeks ago with my English cousin, my two sisters, my aunt and uncle and cousin and her husband and two sons. Jesse and Susanna arrived with Audrey and soon she was the absolute center of attention. Who doesn’t love a happy baby?

But Audrey has a way of reminding us all that happiness actually is our birthright as human beings, that we are a social species created to love and be loved. She exudes a confidence born of the security and care of her loving parents, grandparents, and perhaps her own naturally strong sense of self gifted to her by her namesake, my mother.

I never expected to be a grandma. Not that there was any particular reason, but it seemed like such a magical gift of wonder and delight. I had a shadowed self-perspective for much of my life. I saw myself as a rebel on the fringe, an outsider in every circumstance. It never occurred to me that I might be a link in the chain of life, blessed not only with two wonderful sons, but with their children as well. Now this gift is a joy I will never take for granted. I am a grandma! Yeah!



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