My 3 year-old grandson (who lives next door to me) and I have started our own family ritual. Just before going to bed at night, he calls me on the phone and tells me to go out onto my front porch so he can see me as he talks to me. So, I flip on my porch light, and go outside. I look towards my grandson's house and I see that his bedroom light is on. Then, I see the shade covering his window being raised by my daughter, and my grandson's head outlined in the bottom portion of his window. I begin waving to him.
"Mammaw...Mammaw," he says.
"I'm on the porch, Baby. I'm waving to you. Do you see me?"
"I see you, Mammaw!" He begins waving back. "I gotta get some rest so I can come see you tomorrow."
"Okay, Baby. Mammaw loves you!"
"Mammaw...Mammaw," he repeats.
"What, Baby?"
"Mammaw..."
"Do you love me? Tell Mammaw you love her," I say.
"I love you, Mammaw!"
"I love you, too, Baby!" We continue to wave, as we talk to one another on the phone.
Then, I hear my grandson say to his mother, "Open my window so I can talk to Mammaw." (I guess talking on the phone to me just wasn't quite enough for him.) His mother opens his window.
My grandson then begins to holler across the yard to me, all the while his phone is still pressed to his ear. "Mammaw!" he yells.
I hold my own phone away from my head to lower his volume in my ear, as well as to lower mine in his. "What, Baby?" I holler back. (Let us remember that it is approximately 10 p.m. and we are probably disturbing the neighbors!)
"What's Sadie doing?" he yells (one of our dogs), and so our loud exchange continues on for several minutes. Sometimes, his baby sister will holler at me from the window. "Muh-muh!" I hear her say.
Finally, I say that I must go inside. (When the neighborhood dogs begin to chime in, you know it's time to wrap things up!) "I don't want you to go in," he protests. "I want to see you!"
"You can come see me tomorrow after you've gotten some rest." I tell him. I wave to him again and assure him of my great love for him. "You've got a big day tomorrow!" I say.
Finally, my grandson accepts the end of our conversation. After a final "I love you - goodnight!" I see his mother closing the window and lowering his shade. I end our phone connection and go inside, pleased with the memories we are creating and with the bond between us that is becoming stronger with each day that passes.
