Mike Peters: Waiting for my first great granddaughter to be born

Posted by parceline on

Saturday, August 25, 2018

12:30 a.m. — Sitting in the hospital waiting room, waiting for our first great-granddaughter to come into the world. Excited, anxious, glowing inside.

We've been here a little over two hours, and we know it will be a while longer.

And I think…

What can I tell her about the world she's coming into?

When you're expecting a great granddaughter to come into the world, you worry about what kind of world will greet her.

And what will she know about her great grandparents? The grandkids now call me "Pa" so to her I'll be "Great Pa."

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What will her life be like? I worry, of course, because of the state of the world right now. What will she face, growing up in the chaos of this life?

It's crazy right now, with the challenges we face, the problems in our government, the seemingly unsafe times we are living in.

But … what are the good things about being born today?

You're born in Colorado, one of the great places in this country.
Those mountains to the west are most beautiful, and one day Great Pa will take you fishing there.
You'll live in Greeley, a good city with some good people.
There is a Poudre River Trail, not far from your home and you'll be able to ride it with your Great Pa!
The Rockies might make the playoffs this year!
And I'm betting the Broncos will win at least one game!
You're being born into a great family, whose parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins and great grandparents are going to love you with their whole hearts.

I hope that someday, we'll sit and talk about the world, and how the challenges have made you a stronger person, a stronger woman, a stronger American.

2:15 a.m. – Nothing is happening to her mother, our granddaughter Michaela, so we're heading home for a few hours to get some sleep. Excited, but tired.

6:30 a.m. – Awake, after four hours of sleep, wanting to get back to the hospital to greet our great granddaughter into the world.

8:02 a.m. – Ellie Rae Fisher is born, Friday, Aug. 24. She was quiet, with little crying, a soft face, dark hair. And she's beautiful, of course.

10 a.m. – I get to hold her for the first time. Sweet Ellie Rae.

And so, Ellie Rae enters this world. As I said, we worry about the world as it greets her, the way things appear to be going, the problems we hear about every day.

But I know this kind of world can't remain.

And these new citizens, like Ellie Rae, will change things for the better. This is a new generation for America, and they will take charge in a few years, making life worthwhile.

Welcome to the world, Ellie Rae.

— The name Gnarly Trombone was taken from an 1871 Cincinnati newspaper that misread Horace Greeley's handwritten name of the Greeley Tribune. Mike Peters is a retired Tribune staff writer. He may be emailed at mpeters26@comcast.net.

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