Natalie's Garden

She arrived today.  My little granddaughter.  Her name is Natalie and objectively, she is beautiful and perfect in every way. 

Immediately, my mind begins to go to work.

Initially, I thought:

I can't send flowers because I don't know what hospital she was born in. 

I know it is a hospital in a major east coast town- but that is all I know.

Then I thought:

I'll send flowers once they get home. 

Then I thought:

I'll send a plant or a tree that we can plant in the yard to honor her birth. 

Then I started thinking about how my daughter said maybe I could help them in the yard when I'm there this summer and I thought:

we'll make a garden for Natalie.

Then I started thinking about how she and I can garden together. 

How Grandma will wear a hat like this:



a hat for Grandma



And then I start thinking about a hat for Natalie:

baby hat

I think about how Grandma will wear gloves with flowers like these:

gloves for Grandma



And how Natalie might wear gloves with cows like these:



child sized gloves with cows

How Natalie can have her very own tool bag with gardening tools like these:

Child sized garden tools

Rakes, spade, and shovel just for her:

child sized

We will plant pansies and zinnias. 

And I will let her pick all she wants.  Why not?  It will be her garden! 
Natalie's garden.

By now you may be wondering if you read wrong at the beginning of this post.  When was Natalie born?  Today.  A Grandma can dream can't she?  A Grandma can plan can't she?  Am I wishing away her baby years?  No.  I'm just dreaming on this a day that is suddenly filled to the brim and over-flowing with possibility and wonder.  Of having fun and being crazy and wearing a funny hat with someone who isn't embarrassed by my wearing a funny hat because she will think I'm wonderful.

I got the call in the very early hours of the morning.  Before I left for work I grabbed a vase and stopped on the way to work and bought myself a dozen pink roses.  I took myself to dinner.  I was tired but floated happily through the day in a dizzying cloud of happiness. 

Driving to work, I had my hand on my chin.  The thought occurred to me:
I'm a Grandma and I have two zits!
Some things never change.