Happy June!  Summer is upon us, as is Father’s Day and all the fun, sunny things we enjoy this time of year.

One recent morning, I started the day with a tremendous grin.  Why? As I was getting ready to begin the workday, my phone rang.  It was a FaceTime call from Abilene, where our daughter and her family live.  But I knew she would not be the “Face” that would appear.  As expected, an (almost) 2-year-old, curly-headed little boy appeared with a grin from ear to ear.  He has discovered when he takes the phone to his mom and says “Sassy?  G?” that she will push a button and we will appear.  More importantly, when we appear, we will do whatever he wants us to do!  Currently, that means asking Alexa to play the “Trucks” song from the Disney show “Cars on the Road.”  Like any good grandmother in this decade, I also have that video saved on my YouTube channel so I can readily access it when he wants to see it.  The giggles and delight are worth figuring this all out!

This particular morning after the “Trucks” video, he asked for “Itsy Bitsy Spider” followed by “Wheels on the Bus.”  Alexa obliged, but after those songs ended, she kept going, and up next was “The Hokey Pokey.”  At first, his face did not indicate excitement about this song he had never heard….that is until his grandmother and his mother started putting their right arm in and shaking it all about!  Then the giggles started.

After we hung up, I thought how times have changed and how very fortunate I am to live in an age where I can see my grandson every day, whether he lives six hours away or not.  I thought of my own grandparents– I was blessed early in life to live very close to my mother’s parents and to attend church with them every week.

It all made me realize how important those “little years” are.  The years when you get to be silly and fun.  The years when Mom and Dad are the rule makers and grandparents get to be the rule breakers. (Don’t tell them I said that!)

These are the years when they learn you will bend over backwards to do what they want to do, and that you will be a safe space for them always.  And…sometimes that means starting the day dancing a little hokey pokey and hanging up with a grin on your face, knowing all is right with your world.