A labor of love

It amazes me at how much history plays a part in our lives; how there can be meaning in such little things – and of course – in the big things. Small gestures of love, labors of love, and signs of love all folded into the history of our lives. And finally how quickly those gestures, labors and signs fade and turn into history. Tonight as I rocked my son to sleep in his cradle I was reminded of just such a history and the gesture, labor and sign of love that I was physically touching. For some 28+ years ago my grandfather labored and created a sign of his love for me – in the creation of that very cradle that I sat rocking tonight.

On Tuesday November 11th, for the first time we laid our son to sleep in that cradle for the night. Until Tuesday night he had slept exclusively in our bed. Now he only sleeps his first stent in that cradle, we bring him into our bed for the remainder of the night after he wakes up for his first feeding – sometimes that is 2am and once it was 6am! But tonight as I rocked him to sleep I realized that for the first time in 3 years I didn’t recognize the anniversary of my grandfather’s death until today. The date of November 10th was just another day in my life – it wasn’t an acknowledgement of the day he died, I wasn’t sad or even down that day.

Tonight lying in my bed, rocking Ace to sleep in my grandfather’s labor of love I shed a tear knowing that Ace’s great grandfather and grandfather will never know this little buddle of joy. But I find it to be heartwarming that I chose the night of the 11th to finally try to have Ace sleep in the cradle. Although not the anniversary of my grandpa’s death, it certainly marked a new beginning for our family – having our baby not sleep exclusively in our bed. He’s growing up, history is being made. Ace is sleeping in a piece of history, a labor, gesture and sign of love.

My grandfather was extremely skilled in woodworks and there are signs of that all over my home – but the most important piece to me is that cradle. I slept in it as an infant (and as a kid amid stuffed animals) and now my son is as well. I miss both my grandfather and my dad so much and so wish they were around to know this new addition to our family. Ace has my dad’s eyes. There’s no doubt about it when he smiles. And so as time continues on – new signs, gestures and labors of love are being created – and as my dad said “history keeps moving on.”

Good night everyone.