| The Good Life II |
My birth was uneventful and very tiring. I got the sense it tired mom as much as it did me. I felt very cool at first, then warm and dry after dad rubbed me all over. The lights were real low and it wasn\'t so different than before, but physical sensations had increased dramatically. Mom began nursing me immediately and she told me how happy she was that I was out in a new world with her and dad and how happy I would be from now on. Mom and dad sounded quite different than before and I liked the difference. I can\'t tell you why. They told me I would learn more patience and one day I would give the gift of a good life to others. I knew then that I wanted to do that. I could not even think of an alternative. Mom had a sweet smell to her and dad\'s was quite different. The room had a smell of its own and it was pleasant.
Nursing was tiring, yet I had never experienced such pleasure before. I did not think I would ever outgrow it and I really never did. The milk was so sweet. I didn\'t know from sweet the day before. I went to sleep. Mom went to sleep, and dad left the room. I noticed that before. Dad wasn\'t always close to mom and me. If it was OK with mom, it was OK with me. He\'ll be back. Just wait and see.
Sometimes I found myself alone in a room after that. There were lots of things to look at and I could hear mom was not far away. Before I ever got bored from being alone, mom would come and get me for nursing or diaper changes, or singing, or reading, or just to show me off to my grandparents and friends. I knew most of them already by their voices and the way they spoke because I heard them often before I was born. I liked it when they held me and told me how happy they were to see me and sang to me. Life was good.
Whenever I was alone, I\'d sing my favorite songs. It was easier said than done. I didn\'t know the words and I couldn\'t sing the ones I did know but I tried and it seemed to please mom when I did. Everything sounded clearer and better than it used to and I was learning more words everyday, even though I could not talk or sing. I knew if I kept trying, I would. Mom said so, as did grandpas, grandmas, and dad.
I learned to crawl, walk and talk with little difficulty. Everybody made a big deal out of it, whenever I learned something new. I really liked the attention and I decided I was going to learn new things every day. I think that alphabet song mom started singing before I was born was a bit overdone and I only made it worse after I learned it. Later I would learn this song got me talking months earlier than expected, which got me much more praise from the family.
Mom taught me to sing Happy Birthday so I could sing along on my second. I was a huge hit with my performance. I was learning a lot of new tricks and I was always rewarded for it. I was told I was a big boy and a good boy and it was time for more adventure. I got outdoors a lot more and I went on overnight adventures at my grandparents\' homes. With them, I learned a lot more and the rewards were better than at home. Adventure was good.
Mom used to have me knock two sticks together in time to music she played. When she played, she often sang and I was learning the songs. I got where I could play the sticks and sing at the same time. On my third birthday, mom gave me a small drum with small sticks and grandpa gave me a harmonica. I had it all figured out with a little help and I knew I was especially talented because I was told so every day. I had a baby sister now and she got a lot of attention for every new trick she learned. I was never jealous. I was on a roll, learning great new things every day and there were still a lot of rewards to go around.
By the time I was five, I could sing harmony parts at the piano and I was pretty good on harmonica too. I especially liked to sing and play for my sister. It always made her happy and excited. That was a reward for me too. I read my stories to my sister until she went to sleep and mom would send me over to grandmas when she wanted to read or sing to my sister.
By the time of my eighth birthday, I had three pets and had read or heard every book in the house twice, so I got to go to the library and choose new books to read. My first time at the library was the most exciting thing I can remember from those days. My sister didn\'t like everything I liked but she let me read to her and she often read to me. We both sang and read to our baby brother. I really loved singing with my sister and still do. We had a blend that was unmatched until our brother got older. We won every talent contest we entered.
I loved to paint by numbers and all the art projects were great fun. I built detailed model cars and airplanes. We built and flew kites of every description. Every family get-together was special and musical. Dad was often busy, but he was only out in the woodshop making cabinets and furniture. We could go out and visit him at certain times of day. It was all custom work and he had orders a full year ahead. He sometimes worked long days, into the night. We didn\'t mind. We knew where he was and he would always take an hour or two to do things with us. He helped us learn new things we might never have thought of.
My parents and grandparents are gone. I\'m grandpa now. Guess how I spend half my time? I have been blessed. Everything has gone my way. I know by observation this is a rare thing. My children have the good life. Their grandchildren will too. I say it\'s because my grandparents loved me before my parents were born. There is no greater gift. That\'s why I\'m passing it on.
Ed Howes sought and found, knocked and entered. Now he sees things differently. To see more of what he sees, please visit http://www.justanotherview.com or do an author search here at Webraydian. Readers grow: wiser, better, faster.
Article Source: UnArchived Articles
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