A Sticky Hug on a Rainy Christmas Day in May





On my way back home late this morning from participating in a Grandparents Day breakfast with a 4-year old little fisherman who left us both sticky from maple syrup as we laughed and talked about perch and walleye and his upcoming Fishing Birthday Party and he showed me the right way to drink chocolate milk from a small container using a straw, I thought about his saying goodbye after giving me a sticky kiss and sticky hug..
“Love you too GraGra,” he waved as he disappeared around a corner on his way back to his classroom. He’d been chosen to be the caboose-the child at the end of the line-so he was able to wave goodbye to me all the way down the hall.
When he disappeared around that corner I felt my heart sink.
A few hours later I was back at that school-back in that cafeteria enjoying a Grandparents Day lunch with a 7-year old granddaughter. To see her smile when she saw me made it feel like Christmas. I was certain the rain falling was really snow and the gentleman with the beard waiting by the door was really Santa Claus.
As we sat and ate our lunch and talked I wondered when in the world did a sweet little baby girl blossom into such a beautiful young girl. When she asked about the locket I was wearing I told her Uncle Brian gave it to me. Getting a closer look, she opened the locket.
“Why don’t you have a picture in your locket”?
“I’ve been going to,” I answered.
“I think you should put a picture of Uncle Brian in the locket. He would like that GraGra.”
“I think he would too.”
When it was time to leave, I watched her go down the stairs and join her friends, skipping along until she stopped and turned.
“Love you GraGra.”
My heart sunk a little bit more.
As I passed by farmland that had been plowed and Amish going along in their buggies or working out in their fields, I thought how lucky I was-blessed with a sticky kiss and a sticky hug and a smile that turned a rainy day in May into Christmas. Priceless.
(Please Note: GraGra is what my grandchildren call me)

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