Junior’s Guest of Honor

This past Monday, I was the guest of my 5-year-old grandson, Junior, at his pre-school.  Junior is the oldest of my second-born son's four boys.  He and his classmates were told that they could invite one special grown-up in their lives to come to their school for an hour, for songs and storytime and a spring flower planting project, and Junior chose me.

I'm “Grammy” to the other three families of grandchildren, but when he was a novice talker Junior dubbed me "ReeRee" and somehow it stuck, so that’s what he and his younger brothers still call me.  I don't know if that title will stand the test of time, with all of the other Pearl cousins calling me Grammy; but I kind of hope it does.

I can't tell you how honored I felt to be the guest of this little guy, an outgoing dynamo of a boy who has the biggest heart and loves both sides of his family with a passion that I've rarely seen in anyone of any age.

He was so excited when he saw me, and I believe I now know what it feels like to be a celebrity.  He enthusiastically introduced me to everyone there, saying, “Hey [so and so], this is my ReeRee!  Do you know this is my ReeRee?” When he and his classmates stood on the stairs at the entrance to the church that is the home of his pre-K school and sang for their guests, he was literally jumping up and down at the end of each song.  He couldn’t contain himself.  

That sweet kid...I have a big spot in my heart reserved just for him.  

I am so fortunate that we were able to move down here to VA four years ago, as hard as it was to leave the house we'd lived in for 26 years in NH, the home where we'd raised our five boys.  We live less than an hour from Junior now (and even closer to his 13 Pearl cousins), so spur-of-the-moment invitations like this one can be accepted with joy. Hopefully these everyday yet oh-so-special times spent together will become lifelong memories for Junior and the rest of the precious little people on our lengthening string of Pearls.