A Holiday Story
By far the biggest highlight of this recent holiday season for Dave and me has been visits from nearly our entire family. Since they come from Texas, Colorado, California, Oregon and Sammamish, this was a unique experience. Happily, they didn’t all come at once so we could focus on each of them more easily. We celebrated every minute of it. We had 3 sons, 1 daughter, 2 granddaughters, 2 grandsons, and 1 great grandson in our home. It was wonderful.
The visits began in July with the Grand Opening of Field Hall Arts and Events Center on the waterfront in Port Angeles. Very big deal. One of our sons came to be part of the festivities because he “knew how important this is to you, Mom.” We had a grand time.
Then in September when Dave’s group, Peninsula Men’s Gospel Singers, performed at Field Hall, several of the gang showed up. Our house was full as were our hearts. They reportedly loved both the concert and the concert hall.
While I could regale you with lots of stories and anecdotes from these visits, the story in the last visit is the one that holds my attention. It was unexpected and delightful. And I learned something valuable about my granddaughter.
She came to visit the last week of the year, driving alone from Sammamish. She lives in Texas where she is studying for her PhD in criminal justice and psychology and was home for Christmas. This is one bright cookie, having earned summa cum laude honors in her undergraduate work and master’s degree.
Before she arrived, we got a call from our daughter, her mother. She wanted to warn us that our granddaughter is very upset because her long-term boyfriend just broke up with her and we could expect rivers of tears. Oh, dear.
It turns out that the drive from Sammamish (just east of Seattle) to our little town was long enough for her to stop indulging in heartbreak and gain some perspective. This was a serious relationship. She referenced future children several times. Anyway, according to our daughter, she was broken hearted. I don’t mean that to sound as heartless as it does. I don’t think any of us thought this guy was “worthy,” and it turns out he didn’t either. Expressed a need to “find himself.” Enough said.
As we sat in the living room talking about a variety of topics including the breakup, the alarm on Dave’s tablet went off to remind him to take his two morning pills. Instantly, Mr. Grouchy appeared and began his morning diatribe informing us—yet again—that he really doesn’t want to take pills for the rest of his life. He has a cardiac condition that is not fully diagnosed. Lots of tests to endure. Mostly, there’s a lot we don’t know, and I think that contributes to the grouchiness.
Our granddaughter sat and listened for a while and then got his attention. Yes, her relationship with the loser is kaput and she had had high hopes. In fact, she had been planning her wedding and there’s a role for Grandpa in the wedding. That wedding is off, of course, but she plans to have a wedding one day, and she wants him to take part in it. (Pause) “So take the pills, Grandpa.”
I very nearly got up and cheered. Obviously, her psychology studies are working well, not to mention her ability to sell a point of view. The usual cajoling I had indulged in relative to the pills had had exactly zero effect. But this young woman told a compelling and tender story which concluded with a steel trap.
Not to mention that she put her own heartbreak and disappointment aside to show her love for her dear grandfather. Could be one of the best Christmas stories of our year.
And, yes, I hope you weren’t standing in the trajectory zone when the buttons popped off my shirt because of my pride in this young woman. I didn’t see it coming so I forgot to holler “Duck!”