Precious

Eight days ago I took my mother-in-law out to visit her latest great-granddaughter. Almost ninety years separates their birthdates. Like today, it was raining and I had a 'to do' list a mile long. The plan was for a wee visit, a cuddle of baby, home for lunch, and then to go shopping.

I love my mother-in-law dearly and am so very thankful for her and blessed to have her in my life, but taking her grocery shopping (or worse, Christmas shopping) is always a huge lesson in patience and grace. For me. Whether it is for her or not, I can't say.

Anyway, on this particular day we arrived about forty or so minutes before midday. Time enough for the wee cuddle with baby. Or so I thought.

What I hadn't planned for was Son#2 announcing baby's name. By design baby's middle name happens to be the same as the middle name of my mother-in-law and the name she goes by. I can only imagine how thrilled she was.

So thrilled that she cuddled and cuddled that wee precious baby girl for two and a half hours! Baby's mummy went off for a sleep, baby's daddy got out his laptop, baby's next sister up went off for a big long sleep, baby's maternal grandmother got out what looked like some mending, and baby's great-grandmother continued to cuddle on and on while baby's paternal grandmother sat immobile, trying not to chaff at all the things on her 'to do' list that were going undone and wondering why she hadn't had at least the presence of mind to throw some knitting into her bag.

When it was finally time to relinquish precious baby girl to her mother for a feed, we were able to leave. My mother-in-law decided that she no longer needed to go shopping (I doubt she had been going over her shopping list the whole time she was sitting there cuddling baby) which meant that I could at least run through my errands in record time.

However, I have a feeling that my mother-in-law had no idea how long she actually sat there cuddling baby. But what I suspect - and I'm sure is true - she enjoyed every single moment!


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