A Walk with Grandma

Baby is all bundled up and strapped in. The dog impatiently wags his apricot tail as I struggle to harness and leash him. After twenty minutes, we are finally ready to go.

“OK, Cole! OK, Gilbert!” I say in a sing-songy voice. I bend down, hands on my knees, and grin at Cole inside the stroller.

“What’s my name?” I ask.

He reciprocates a smile and shouts, “Dada!” I shake my head and laugh.

My friends call me “Supermom” but I’m actually just desperate to keep my sanity. A daily walk to the park is a necessity, otherwise I might morph into a momster.

Yes — a momster.

We follow our usual half-mile route to the park. It’s a chilly, dreary day. As we approach the walkway at the park entrance, I hear a familiar chime through my earbuds. I glance at my phone — it’s Grandma returning my call from earlier.

Perfect timing.

“Hi, Grand-ma!” I exclaim, loudly and slowly.

“Oh, Amy?” she giggles. “It’s Grandma.”

“Hi, Grandma!” I repeat.

“How’s the baby?”

“He’s good! He just took his first steps.”

“Uh-huh, now is he walking yet?”

“Well, he just took his first steps.”

Silence.

“He just took his first steps!”

“Oh, is that right?” Grandma chortles.

“Yeah, and he finally just started sleeping through the night!”

There’s another long pause.

“And Amy, is he sleeping any better?”

“Yes, much better, he’s sleeping through the night!”

“Oh, good,” Grandma says.

“Grandma, how are you doing?”

“So Amy, how’s the weather in Seattle?”

“Oh, it’s about 50 degrees and cloudy right now.”

“Uh-huh, Uh-huh. You know, I always ask your mom, ‘How’s Amy doing?’ I think of you every day.”

“Aww, thanks Grandma. I think of you every day, too.”

“OK, well God bless you, Amy. Grandma loves you.”

“I love you too, Grandma.” I wipe away a tear from my cheek.

“OK, bye now.” Click.

The tender smile remains on my face as I power walk a few more laps around the park. The warm, endearing sound of Grandma’s voice comforts me long after we hang up the phone.

Today is a good day.