Emery Grace

Column 6-19-2008


Emery Grace Stirnkorb arrived two weeks early, allowing our youngest son, Eric and wife Nyki to celebrate their first Father’s Day on Sunday.
Weighing in at a mere 6 pounds and 8 ounces, she is 19 inches long with dark hair and navy blue eyes. Her tiny features are almost doll-like except for the classic-Stirnkorb, long fingers and toes. This is the third grandchild for Rick and me, but the first one on Nyki’s side of the family. Let the spoiling begin!
On the bottom of the country, my Dad will turn 75 in a couple of days and Emery makes his seventh great-grand child. Number six, Sara was born just two weeks ago, a product of my nephew, Chris and wife Erika. Chris is in the Navy.
Isn’t it funny how life keeps us moving on? Dad said he can’t believe he will be 75, and neither can I! He is still riding his horses in south Florida and complaining about the heat. His mother, my grandmother, will soon be 92 and she is also still active.
I saw a wonderful sign last week which said, “Time flies, whether you are having fun or not.” So I suppose we might as well enjoy every day we have on this beautiful green earth of ours. Although our days are numbered, our laughter and enjoyment can be continual and non-stop. It is all a matter of how we choose to live.
I am confident that Emery Grace will thrive in a house full of love and care. Her parents were anxious to have her and she is already surrounded by people who adore her. She is also fortunate to have lots of grandparents, great-grandparents, and even great-great grandparents on both sides of the family. Grandparents are the best and I firmly believe every child needs a few.
Sierra and Parker, Emery’s cousins, have a controlled curiosity for the new baby. With four or five minute attention spans, they are quickly tired of this new person who does little else but sleep and eat. Their time for play is coming. Eric, on the other hand, asked me if there was ever anything that, just by looking at it, made me smile. He said that is the reaction he gets when he sees his beautiful new baby.
For Emery, I wish her good health and happiness, but most of all, I hope she is loved beyond measure all her days. When Sierra was born, I was bragging to my Aunt about how she was such a wonderful, well-behaved, good-sleeping, eating and playing baby. She replied, “And why wouldn’t she be, she is very well loved.”
It does all come back to that, doesn’t it? Love really is what sends our worlds into motion, makes our hearts go pitty-pat and makes our toes curl. It is the essence of what we all crave in our daily lives and the real “stuff” of which our lives are made. Without it, well, I can’t even imagine my life without the love I have in it.
Welcome to the family, Emery. And to all you new grandparents, I can only tell you with reasonable accuracy, you are in the for joy of your lives!