About half a decade ago my daughter shared with me the news that she was expecting a baby. She wasn’t even old enough yet to drive.

I wasn’t thrilled, but I wasn’t devestated, either.  What I was mostly was scared.

And I could see my fear echoed in her eyes as she looked for answers to questions that hadn’t even been asked, but would be, and very quickly.

I was scared for her path and the decisions awaiting her along that path.

She chose a path some have said was unwise at her age.  She chose to not just keep the child alive, but to raise it as best as she could on her own.

It hasn’t been an easy path for her, being a single teen mom, and  not even out of high school.

Truth be told, it hasn’t been easy on me, either.

But that’s perfectly ok.  We’re not here to trod an easy path.

We’re here to face tough choices, to learn from bad decisions, to keep going when faced with adversity.

We’re here to do what we believe is right, even when so many opportunities are at our disposal to do an easier, but less enheartening thing.

Mostly, we’re here to spread the grace and goodwill passed on to us by others who have come across our journey on these paths.

Lord willing, maybe even our grandkids will catch the bug and spread it around to others.  That’s the plan, anyway.

And she’s been an awesome mom.  Knows that there are things she gives up for the sake of her child’s well-being.  Knows that she’s a mother first before anything else.  Knows that the time she spends with him daily is time he’ll cherish in his heart forever.

The original fear in our eyes has been replaced by thankfulness.

So what does the next five, ten, fifty years hold for my Gwumpa Stories?

Can’t say, really.  That’d spoil the surprise.

And I’m no stranger to surprises 😀

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