The Afternoon of Life

My Dear, Precious Holden: As my first grandson you’ve given me more gifts than any child has ever given me, even my own children.   With them I had to be so “responsible”, but with you and your cousins I just get to enjoy.   Right now your mommy has trusted you to wonderful Dr. Leonard who has been watching over you since you were a baby.   He convinced your mommy to let you grow as big and strong as possible before he worked on repairing a hole in your heart.   And now you ARE big and you ARE strong (you even fought the doctors when they tried to put you to sleep today.   That made your mommy cry…but that’s because she loves you so much).   You are sound asleep and don’t even know something so important is happening inside of you right now.   This is a day we’ve all known was coming since the day you were born, and we’re ready to know that your heart will be repaired so that you can continue to grow big and strong and have the beautiful life that God has planned for you. But

Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. In a little over 10 hours, I will watch my very strong, courageous, beautiful, frightened daughter hand our precious Holden over to Dr. Leonard for heart surgery.   How she can have the strength to do that, I’ll never know.   At her age I hadn’t even married nor had children yet.   But she has learned through these short four-and-a-half years to trust the doctors that are helping her to raise