Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

Today I searched and found a birthday present for my foster granddaughter who is turning 16. She's an amazing young woman, and I haven't seen her in a year, but we have texted and also I've kept in touch with her mother. How grateful I am that I decided to offer myself as a "grandmother" after her dad died when she was a baby. And how brave of her mother to accept and slowly embrace my role: picking her up from preschool, taking her on a flight to to visit my daughter, keeping her overnight, attending soccer games, piano recitals and talent shows at her school. I was driving with her when her stepdad called that her mother was in labor and to come back home. She was a flower girl for my younger daughter's wedding. After my daughter's daughter was born, I nourished their relationship, though they were three years apart. My foster and I went to movies, shopped, trolled pet stores for gear for her bunny, and talked and laughed. After her new stepdad brought grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins into the mix, I offered to scale back, but he told me I was part of the family forever. After my own grandchildren came along, and foster hit junior high, I scaled back, and then when my older daughter was fighting cancer, I saw foster less, but she understood. I also feel close to her little sister, now nine, and include her in holidays and birthday gift giving. The funny thing is, my foster is a red head, so are her mother and sister, and her dad who died was also. My dear brother was a redhead, and somehow the relationship seemed fated and right. She has added so much to my life, and she has my love forever, and also her family. Who knows what a moment of offering something out of compassion can bring such reward and enrichment into into your own life. I gave myself a big gift that day.