Monday Smiles – 12/2/2013

Last Friday afternoon, we took my grandkids, Savy, Reed and Maddux, to see the new Disney animated film, Frozen, at the local Harkins Theater.  On Black Friday, it appears, everyone who isn’t out shopping is taking their kids to the movies.  It was a zoo.  We arrived an hour early and stood in line for forty minutes, only to have trouble finding five seats together.  It was a very cute film, a little mushy for the boys at the beginning but making up for it with a funny snowman named Olaf and a scary one that was, as far as I know, nameless.   Savy fell asleep toward the end of the film but that was fine … there is not much sweeter for a grandfather than his warm little granddaughter curled up against him asleep, no matter where it is.

When we got back to the house our plan was to say goodbye to the kids at the door (we were heading back to California Saturday morning).   It’s hard enough to say goodbye to them without dragging it out.  But Reed asked, Papa, can you please come in for a minute.  I have a present for you.  How could a Papa say no to a present from his grandson?  I may have mentioned a few months ago that Reed called me to ask if he could do a report on my father for Veteran’s Day.  I sent him some pictures and some information regarding Dad’s service in the Army Air Corps.  His present was the project he made for the report, a beautiful mounted photographic plaque with my Dad’s picture on the front and his service record on the back.

How often does a man get a chance to smile about his oldest grandson and his Dad on the same day?  It will have a place of honor in my office.  It’s Monday and I’m still smiling … and if my father is out there somewhere, he’s smiling, too.

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Tags: curmudgeonly rants, family, fatherhood, grandchildren, Monday smiles, nostalgia, smiles

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