Pure Joy

This is the face of my grandson
The one who knows that
When you draw a person
You start with the heart
"Because everyone needs a heart,
Right Gramma?"
Yes Nico, everyone needs a heart,
a kind and loving heart,
just like yours!

This is the face of my grandson, 

The one who said, "My heart hurts, Mama"

When she asked why, he said, 

"Because I keep thinking of Great Papa

And how much he loved basketball 

And it makes me sad that

He's not here to play with me 

and to watch me play."

This is the face of my grandson

The one who is so full of life and ideas and words and action

The one who can figure out any problem

As long as he is able to move

The one who is the first to ask,

"Are you okay?" when his team mates go down

The one who creates

art and poetry that show

Red really IS like a volcano

erupting for the first time!

This is the face of my granddaughter,

The one who spends most of her days
upside down.

The one who shares all of her heart
in all she does
 and radiates enthusiasm from every pore.

The one who needs just the right amount of
fierce independence

balanced with,"I need my blankie,"
night time music with Daddy,

And make -me-better hugs from Mommy.

This is the face of my grandson.

The daring one who wants to know,

"Will you play with me?"

The one who loves chocolate anything 

(just like his Gramma) but won't eat vegetables,
NO WAY!

The one who adores his big sister so much

but will knock down her carefully created tower

in the blink of an eye with a smile on his face

The one who gazes at his little sister with love

and says, "Hewwo, wittle, Waywa!"

This is the face of my granddaughter,

the one who first taught us

about the magic a grandchild can bring to your life.

The one who was born an old soul,

diplomatic, kind and caring, right from the start.

The one who knows her way around

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

And dreams of travelling the world.

,

This is the face of my granddaughter

the one they say looks just like me (lucky me!).

The one we all hug and snuggle

and do crazy things for, just to make her smile.

The one who has been so mellow

but is showing signs of becoming

a strong girl with a voice of her own

The one we are surrounding 

with all of our love

curious to see who she will grow in to.

These are the faces of my grandchildren,

They bless us with their laughter

and curiosity, their temper tantrums

and their make-up squeezie hugs,

their crazy senses of humour and the

kind of pure, loving words

that can only come from a child.

These are my grandchildren.

Lucky me!