She Calls Her, “Doll”

This picture owns me! It is a 5 generation span of love captured in a brief visit to my most spectacular Granny.

This is my precious grandmother and my sweet granddaughter. Avery loves Granny. When Granny talks to her, her whole face lights up and she immediately responds with her own version of chatter and giggles. It absolutely fills my heart with such joy that sometimes it leaks out my eyes.

While it is a precious sight for me that brings tears almost every time they are together, there is a part of me that is sad. That sadness comes from realizing that Avery will never fully know my Granny like I do. She probably will never appreciate and treasure this moment the way I do. She can’t fully understand the magnitude of being held by her great-great grandmother. Yet she is enjoying the moment with this silly white haired lady that calls her “doll”. I love when Granny calls her “doll”. It is her word for us, the grandkids and great grands and now great-great grands. We are all “dolls”, but above all we are her dolls.

As I think about these special moments with Avery and Granny, I find myself wondering if I had these moments with my great grandmothers. Did they hold me all fresh and new and talk gibberish to make me smile? Did they kiss my forehead and tell me they loved me? Did they call me “doll” or something as equally charming?

Oh how I wish I knew. Oh I would surely treasure those stories and/or pictures. or would I? Am I treasuring the times I have now with the people that are nearest and dearest now? Ouch! That self-reflection hurt.

I hope I do. I hope I don’t get caught up in the tyranny of the urgent and miss opportunities to sit and soak in the love of those that mean the most. I hope that I don’t trade busyness for precious moments.

Yesterday my niece asked to come hang out with me. As Leigh and I were watching Disney’s Christopher Robin, Pooh said something that resonated with my soul. He said, “Doing nothing often leads to the very best something.” And as Leigh and I continued watching the movie snuggled on the couch in the most fabulous red blanket giggling about that silly ole bear, I realized that Pooh was absolutely right.

Can I encourage you sweet friend to go do nothing with someone that you care about and discover that “very best something”?

1 John 4:19 – “We love because he first loved us.”

Much Love, Dolls!