‘You must have been a beautiful baby…’
The call came last Friday morning: a stork sighting in Vancouver, the first such event in our family. I made hasty provisions for my ‘opens’ over the weekend, my wife and I caught the next ferry, and at two the next morning we welcomed an as-yet-unnamed baby girl into the world. Dimples, jet black hair, perfectly formed — love at first sight. Our first grandchild (and, we’re told, quite likely the last; apparently there’s a fair bit of effort involved in these things).
This event has, of course, been in the offing for some while, and one of the concerns over that time has been for the reaction of the family dog, a rambunctious German Shorthaired Pointer who’s been the unrivaled center of attention since his arrival almost a year ago. Like all the rest of his family he’s a Cancer, thus emotional and resistant to change. Loving and protective for sure, but also capable of putting an adult flat on his back by way of greeting. This spectre in mind, a plan on how best to make this introduction was in place. The newborn’s bonnet was sent on home in advance of the young lady and offered up to him to smell. Then the arrival of the mother bearing assurances of his ongoing place in the family constellation — albeit down a peg.
And then the baby. And all lives changed, for both man and beast.
It’s been going on for some hundred thousand generations now, this stepping aside as each new rung is added to the human ladder. Definitely not a new idea…but if you haven’t experienced it firsthand I can tell you there’s nothing quite like it. As I held her for the first time I felt that special connection with both past and future, and an understanding of my small place in it. And reassured, somehow, that this latest link will find the will and resources to be the strongest and best link yet.
When I revised my website recently my wife asked if there would be any family pictures on it. I said no. Because no one cares.
Well, perhaps just this once.
6 comments July 23rd, 2007
