Shaking the hand of God

My closest cousin, Jeff, and his wife of two years, Crecia, recently welcomed their first child, Cassandra Darling Johnson, into the world.  It’s a thrill for our large extended family not only to add another vibrant member to the mix, but also because we’ve spent many years impatiently waiting for Jeff — who is around 43 — to become a daddy.

We were impatient because we all knew what an awesome daddy he would make.  And now, just as we expected, he is.

Jeff called me today to beam about his new daughter over the phone.  I mean, literally beaming.  There were actual beams of bright yellow joy shooting out of that little hole in my iPhone, into my ear, and lighting up my skull like a jack-o-lantern as Jeff spoke.

“It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt,” he said.  “It’s like shaking the hand of God.”

Listening to Jeff describe watching little Cassie in her crib brought back fresh memories of my kids when they were babies — especially Pete, our youngest who is now 5.  (Sam and Ava are 11 and 12, respectively.)

For the first two years of his life, Pete and I had a bedtime routine that was the highlight of my day.  After bath, he and I would sit together in the glider in his room, and read a little book, usually “Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs!”  Then, I would turn on a CD of an orchestral collection of children’s tunes, turn off the lamp, put Pete up on my shoulder, and start rocking in the glider.  Soon, his breathing would become rhythmical and his body would conform to mine.  Long after he had fallen asleep, I would rock him in the darkness, listening to “When you wish upon a star,” “What a wonderful world,” or “House at Pooh Corner.”

Every night, it was as if I had a sneak peek into Heaven that ended all too soon.

“Cassie” Johnson

There are things we expect from parenthood — the crying, pooping, arguing, noise making, hugging, shouting, puking, giggling, fibbing, and so on — but there are also unanticipated and undeserved gifts from our Creator himself.  This is what my nightly bedtime routine with Pete was for me.  There have been countless others with all of my kids.  We should recognize these moments for what they are — the purist example of God’s grace and love.

And for this reason, I am so very happy for my cousin.  Life before was wonderful, but now — oh, my, oh, my! — life becomes grand.