I love to watch the little girls play together.  There are four of them.  They’re spread out over three years.  Sometimes, it seems they’re only a heartbeat away from each other.

They don’t know it, but they’re teaching an old man new tricks.  Sue and I raised three boys.  Watched them become strong-willed, purpose driven men.  Thank you, Lord.

Today, those boys who pulled on my heart-strings every day, have fathered girls.  Pink.  Soft.  Baby Dolls.  Lipstick.  Ribbons and pigtails.  We’ve got a closet full of princess gowns here at Cookie’s House.  We buy plastic tiara’s by the box from Amazon.

One of the five year olds was showing me her little purse and her lipstick.  Yes!  Well, it’s play lipstick.  I think!  I hope. I pray.  And, I know the day will come.

I asked if she was going to wear lipstick and make-up when she got older.

“Yes, Grandpa, that’s what girls do and I’m a girl.”

I do not know what is ahead of me!

The girls have my heart and my soul.  They hold my hand as we walk on the sidewalk.  They crawl up in my lap late at night, so I can read stories to them.  Just before they nod off to sleep they say the best things to me.  “Grandpa, I love you.”  You know what I say.  “I love you too.”

I went by the day care to pick up one of the girls up last week.  Routine.  They all love to spend time at the farm.  Yes, the rules are a bit more relaxed.  Yes, we have a lot of junk food and we share.  There’s a big bowl on the top cabinet.  Somebody keeps it full of candy.  I’m not going to confess, no, not at all.

There’s a spot in the yard, where I throw nickels, dimes and quarters.   During the summer, the grass hides the coins.  The girls already know there’s money to be found.  They come running to me with their treasure and I match it, penny for penny, dime for dime.   It’s one of our games we play.

Back at the day care, the kids were taking naps.  I felt bad they had to wake her.

While I was waiting, there was a boy on the floor.  He was having nothing to do with nap time.  He pulled off his shoe, smelled it, then offered it to the girl napping next to him.  She turned away.  So, he pulled off his other shoe, then his sock.  Yes, the sock went straight to his nose, then towards the girl.  Again she turned away.

And the boy pulled his toe up to his nose for a sniff.

I shook my head.

By this time, my grand-daughter was awake.  She jumped up, running into Grandpa’s arms.  The boy still had his toe near his nose.

Yes, the girls are different.  They are beautiful.

 

Please feel free to share.  I welcome your comments and thoughts.  Contact Mike Windham at amwindham100@gmail.com.  You can follow my blog at mikewindham.com.