a few weeks ago we decided to go and visit my family in upstate NY. {disclaimer: I enjoyed seeing my sister my gramma and my aunties as well but this post is about grampa} to say that the 8hr drive through the mountains of Vermont -in the dark- in a rainstorm - was less than fun is well...an understatement to say the least. there were a few times on that long trip to NY that we wondered aloud if it was worth it for just a couple of days of visiting to go through this long unpleasant drive.
well let's see:
in 2009 I went to Uganda on a missions trip and was given the assignment to become a mother. my boys were newly born infants. I didn't know at that time that they even existed but they were already waiting for me.
after that trip I went to upstate NY and visited my grandparents. I told them that I knew that I was going to go back to Uganda to bring 2 little brown boys home. I showed them my pictures of the orphans I HAD seen. my grandpa (who is now 80 years old and has had a stroke) didn't say much while I was showing the photo slideshow and telling about what I had experienced. after a while he got up abruptly to leave the room. when asked where he was going he replied, "I'm getting too sad. I can't stay in here anymore." his answer had stayed with me all this time. it is an honest reaction to the sadness of so many children living in poverty without parents.
so fast forward to this most recent trip to NY to see my grandparents again; this time with the boys.
my grandpa doesn't smile as much now as I remember him doing when we were young, but he smiled a lot when we were there. he hugged each of my boys in a big bear hug and declared, "Grampa loves you. Do you know that? I love you."
was it worth the trip?
no question. absolutely.
well let's see:
in 2009 I went to Uganda on a missions trip and was given the assignment to become a mother. my boys were newly born infants. I didn't know at that time that they even existed but they were already waiting for me.
after that trip I went to upstate NY and visited my grandparents. I told them that I knew that I was going to go back to Uganda to bring 2 little brown boys home. I showed them my pictures of the orphans I HAD seen. my grandpa (who is now 80 years old and has had a stroke) didn't say much while I was showing the photo slideshow and telling about what I had experienced. after a while he got up abruptly to leave the room. when asked where he was going he replied, "I'm getting too sad. I can't stay in here anymore." his answer had stayed with me all this time. it is an honest reaction to the sadness of so many children living in poverty without parents.
so fast forward to this most recent trip to NY to see my grandparents again; this time with the boys.
my grandpa doesn't smile as much now as I remember him doing when we were young, but he smiled a lot when we were there. he hugged each of my boys in a big bear hug and declared, "Grampa loves you. Do you know that? I love you."
was it worth the trip?
no question. absolutely.
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| photo op: the 3 great grandsons |
I'm crying! Thanks for sharing!
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