The bundle of miracles cradled in my arms stretches and yawns. I gaze down at my granddaughter and think about this new life, this blank slate. I have a new role to uphold and to fulfill – that of a grandmother. As such, I write this oath to my dear Charlotte (and all my future grandchildren).
I promise I will:
Always, always love you unconditionally
Foster the creative spark that lives within you
Ask you to remain true to yourself, no matter what
Nurture your individuality and not compare you to others
Live the rest of my days in such a way as to make you proud
Persuade you to be open-minded, to be fair, and to be cognizant that there are always two sides to a coin
Remind you that the quality of what’s in one’s heart far outweighs what’s in one’s wallet
Encourage you to be kind, to show gratitude, and to be respectful
Help you to understand the connection between man and earth
Share with you your family history, so you value your roots
Teach you the importance of giving back to others
Show you the possibilities in the impossibilities
Inspire you to look for the joy in life
This I will do for you,
Your loving Yin-Yin
What about this? 
Congratulations She is beautiful
Thanks Ellise!
This is beautiful. Congratulations Linnell! Someday I will have this opportunity and blessing.
Thanks Susan! Becoming a grandmother is indescribable!
What beautiful words of wisdom! I am so very happy for you! How exciting to begin your new adventure in life as a loving grandmother.
Hi Jean – Thanks so much! Jeff and I are over the moon crazy about our granddaughter! I bet you’ll be a grandmother soon, too!
Awww-she’s beautiful! Congratulations!
Thank you so much Jenny!
Congrats to you! Such a sweet baby! Just wanted to be sure to take the time to write you to express how your blog posts have helped me find joy in very trying circumstances lately! Thank you so much for your positive messages and great recipes!
I stumbled on your blog when I was looking up the meaning of the name “Yin-Yin” after reading it in a book (Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time by Lisa Yee). I have worked in Children’s books for some years now, so I have to keep up my reading so that I can, “Go spread joy!”
Thanks again so much, and congrats!
Thank you Hilary for the kind words! It means so much to me to receive favorable feedback from my readers. For years, I too had an interest in children’s books. To help foster a love of reading in children, I worked tirelessly to bring well-known authors and illustrators to my local elementary schools. Among my favorites were Jose Aruego, Ruth Heller, Theodore Taylor, David M. Schwartz, and Fred and Patricia McKissack, and Leslie Tryon. You can bet that I’ll be reading book after book to my new granddaughter!