Granddaddies...

Blake's granddaddy has been in the hospital for 1 month and 2 days today. He was in Tarboro until a week ago when they finally decided he'd gotten weak enough and obviously the treatment they were giving him wasn't helping. So they immediately did surgery Friday morning removing all kinds of bacteria from his lungs and he was on a ventilator until yesterday evening. They finally took him off but his breathing just wasn't right and just 12 hours later he was put back on there. And now he's having surgery tomorrow for a tracheostomy. It's kind of up in the air. We all thought that bringing him here was going to make him better but everytime we take a step forward it's like 3 steps back. Only God knows what tomorrow will bring.

This whole thing has been incredibly difficult for Blake & me. Blake has been his granddaddy's "buddy" since he was born. Every summer growing up Blake would spend at the beach condo with "Gander." They worked together running the concessions at the Ag Center for years. When we first started dating it was obvious to me that Granddaddy was someone incredibly important to Blake. As we dated longer and longer, Granddaddy was always someone really important in our relationship. It was important for us to spend time with him and learn from him. He is Grandaddy after all.

Their relationship is something I have never experienced myself. I wasn't blessed with grandparents who were always a part of my life. My paternal grandfather died long before I was born and my paternal grandmother passed when I was ten, but I did visit her occasionally. My maternal grandparents are still alive, but that relationship has been strained as I've gotten older simply because they've never attempted to be a part of my life therefore I don't attempt to spend time with them. (I know, probably not the best, but there's more to it than I can blog about.) So grandparents--or Grandaddies for that matter-- are something I know very little of personally and have only heard about. Blake and his Granddaddy are spectacular. And this was my first experience with a grandparent who truly, truly cares and wants to help raise you with your parents.

My hope is that my kids will never have Grandmas or Grandpas. My kids will have Granddaddies and Grandmommas (or whatever they want to be called). Even Paisley doesn't have a Grandpa... In my opinon Grandmas and Grandpas aren't enough of children's lives, and I don't hope that for my children.

Tomorrow morning Blake's Granddaddy (and my Granddaddy at that) will be having surgery. I pray that everything will go well. I know God is watching over him, and he is a fighter, so I am hopeful that things go really well. I want to go see him tomorrow evening and be amazed at the work of God's hands. I want Granddaddy to get better. I want Granddaddy to be at our wedding. Yea, that's right. I'm a little selfish. Granddaddy needs to be at our wedding. In person. I'm hoping that's Grandaddy's presence at our wedding is a part of God's plan. So many other loved ones in my life aren't going to be there so I need Granddaddy to be there. We both need him to be there.

And I leave with one of the scriptures that has always comforted me throughout my life:

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.
Even though I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD

forever.