This morning I watched a video online about Cozumel and in it a meal was eaten at Casa Denis which is one of Mr. Moon's and my favorite restaurants on the island and it is probably the oldest one still operating, housed right downtown in a wooden building which is over a hundred years old. As the folks in the video ate their guacamole and chicken tacos and plantains a great craving came over me and I texted all of the children to see if they wanted to go to El Patron for lunch today and miraculously and amazingly, everyone could make it and so we went. It wasn't Casa Denis, but it was good enough and we sat out on the deck and we ate and we talked loud and we laughed and we laughed and we were probably inappropriate because we have a strange and awesome shared sense of black humor and we realized that it was Sibling's Day and it was wonderful.
Gibson would not get in the picture and Hank told him that once, when he was little, he hid under a car in order not to be included in a group photo but that Gibson boy was there and he had a good time and he ate all of his fried cheese and his french fries except for one that he gave to his sister which was so kind of him. He spilled salsa on his arm at one point, just a little bit, and he held it out to me and said, "Lick it off!" and I did and his eyes were merry and he hugged me.
Oh, grandmothers. We will do anything those bossy little grandbugs tell us to do.
I love being a grandmother. I think we all know that. I remember before I had grandchildren and it seemed like such an alien concept to me. Even as my children were certainly old enough to become parents, I felt as if I had barely stopped being a full-time mother and indeed, the years between Jessie leaving the nest for good and Owen's birth were not very many.
But. When Owen was born and I watched my daughter and her husband work together so beautifully and so splendidly and so well and so strongly to deliver their son and I finally got to hold him, it all became clear and I held that boy to me and I whispered, "I am going to be your best friend," and so it has been.
He may think that a little guy named Chase is his best friend, but really, it's his MerMer whom he himself named when he was just a wee thing.
And now I have four grandchildren, all of whom call me MerMer, even the youngest, and they kiss me and hug me and love me and ride on my hip and my love for them is too strong to even talk about without crying.
Can you guess what I am about to tell you?
Yes.
Jessie and Vergil are going to give August a sibling in early November, speaking of Sibling Day, and so will be giving me a new grandchild and by now I know that my heart is indeed big enough to hold another child, in fact, it is just waiting with that baby's room prepared as if it has always been there (it has!) and so, there will be more love.
More love given, more love received.
More love within us, more love around us, more love, and it seems to me as if love just drips off our fingertips into the universe or perhaps shoots and sparks like light off our fingertips into the sky and beyond and forever.
Right there, in Jessie's belly she is holding more love and new life.
And there you go, the Very Big News which I have finally been given permission to write about and I am so glad to be able to share it.
In seven months I will have five grandchildren and a little over seven years ago, I had none.
Mr. Moon is getting home from his grand fishing adventure in just a few hours and I will be so glad to see him. I think about the night that he actually saw me in that bar and I was wearing my friend Sue's angora sweater and it kept falling off my shoulder and he asked me to dance and how now, almost thirty-four years later, here we are.
More love and more love and more love.
All right. That's enough. I am weeping at this point and I have things to do.
But.
I apologize to him.
But hey- I licked salsa off his arm today with my very own tongue.
I deserve a little leeway.
I am a grandmother.
I am ruthless and I am crazy and I am fierce.
Ruthlessly, crazy, fiercely in love and ready for more and I can't wait to see who this next member of our family is.
Love...MerMer
I think I'm almost as thrilled as you are!!!! Congrats to Jessie and Virgil and August! And Mer and Bop!! This is tremendous news. You have a tremendous clan and more is just wonderful!
ReplyDeleteOh, Mary! What wonderful news. So exciting. Much love to each and everyone of you.
ReplyDeleteSuch great news! Congrats all around! Aren't grands just the bee's knees? My six range in age from 13 to 20, but ten days ago when we all got together for our oldest's birthday dinner (she was born on her PawPaw's birthday, so it was kind of for him, too), I looked around the table at the awesomeness that are my kids and grandkids and got all weepy. How in the world did we get so damned lucky, MerMer???
ReplyDeletemany congratulations abound to Jessie and Virgil and to you! Can't find a much more loving and steadfast family than yours. It warms my heart. Love in its purest and richest form. Sigh.....
ReplyDeleteHugs to all
Susan M
Wonderful news! Congratulations to everyone! 💕💕💖💛💚💕
ReplyDeleteOh my, what thrilling news! I couldn't be happier for all of you! Although my daughter is not due until the 29th, she has been having sporadic pains all day and just texted me that she had the strongest one yet, had to do some rocking & breathing to get through it. Sooo...tomorrow is the Pink Full moon and it's looking like I might become a gma very soon...god, I am so excited & nervous I can hardly stand it! And just so you know, Mary, I have learned SO very much from reading here about the kind of grandmother I want to be. Thank you for your example. I hope Lyla will one day adore me the way your grandbabies all do you. And yes, I will lick salsa off her arm too!
ReplyDeleteSo exciting! Another member of the Moon clan! What a beautiful thing you and Glen have wrought--your family is wonderful and I have grown to love you all. And now one more!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear the good news. Blessings on you, one and all. x0 N2
ReplyDeleteGreat News! Congratulations all around.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Barbara
Congratulations!!!
ReplyDeletemore than me then. congratulations. I only have four. I only had two kids and my son and daughter-in-law are childless. her body is screwed up and her mind as well so it's just as well but I think my son would have been a good father and that makes me sad for him.
ReplyDeleteThat was a lovely post, Ms. Moon. Or MerMer, as the case may be. Congratz to the family and to you.
ReplyDeleteI came here specifically to have my heart warmed and you did not fail me. Congratulations to Jessie and Vergil on their happy news.
ReplyDeleteWhen the world and the news and life is making me crazy, I come here to be soothed by your voice, your pictures, your family and all this love. Many thanks. xo
Yay! Such exciting news! Congrats to Vergil and Jessie and August and all the rest of you. :)
ReplyDeleteBig GIANT Congratulations all around! So happy for you Mary. XOXO
ReplyDeleteTeary teary tears xxxx
ReplyDelete