Friday, March 22, 2013

Welcome, little one

My brother Frank and his finacee Meg joyfully welcomed their first child (a sweet baby girl!) into the world earlier this week.  They named her Helen, after our Grandma Deresti, and we're all so excited to have a new little family member to love.  I can't wait to head up to the Soo after Easter to meet her and to spend some time enjoying the company of my own first family.  It's times like these when I feel most deeply how much I miss being near them all.

I love how the birth of a new baby seems to knit everyone in the family yet closer together.  We smile enamoredly at a tiny, precious Helen and we are reminded warmly of how much our lives have been touched by the wonderful woman she is named after, a Helen who has already led an inspiring life of over eighty years and is still living each day fully.  There is a comforting sense of continuity in the connection between young and old, a feeling that even though time passes and growing families branch out, we are all still happily rooted in one place, held securely by the familiar values and relationships that we all hold dear.

Some of my favourite memories are of moments spent in my Grandma Helen's kitchen, listening to her stories and her laughter, feeling her happiness at having the family together to share in the delicious food she so often makes for all of us with love.  I think about how wonderful it still feels to be wrapped in my Grandma's big, affectionate hug whenever I see her, how her twinkling blue eyes and the way she still calls me "Dolly" make me feel so special, and I know that as little Helen grows to be her own unique and remarkable self day by day, we will all make sure that she's surrounded by those same feelings of belonging.  It is what we know from our own childhoods that were filled with loving relatives, and what we so gladly share with each new baby who joins his or her heart with ours.

Welcome to the world, sweet little Helen.  Your parents are two amazing people who have so many beautiful things to teach you and will always love you for who you are.  You have wonderful grandparents on both sides of your family who will delight in making you feel special, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins who are so excited to be a part of your life.  You may not know it yet, but you have come into a world of many blessings and much love, and we're so happy you're here.

Congratulations, Frank and Meg!  xoxo

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