Dear Emmala,

As was the case with your big brother, I am moved to write you a letter of welcome on the day after your birth. It will be long before you have any concept of writing and words and language. I’m fairly certain that your life will bring many different ways of storing, sorting and retrieving ideas, so if you ever read this, it might be in a format or on a device that we have not yet imagined. The topic of this letter, however, is of things that are timeless.

You are already beginning to learn of the generations of love that are your heritage. It seems to us like we have been waiting all of our lives for the moment of your birth, though we have only known specifically of your coming for a short time. As the news of your birth spread through the family yesterday the reactions were tears of joy, joy joy!

Your first name already tells the story of the unique wonder that you are. Your parents wrote in your birth announcement a wonderful bit about that name: “Although used by others, the name Emmala has no official meaning yet & no name book gives us a path. “Emma” is most often defined as entire or universal & “La” is used as an exclamation of surprise or emphasis.  Although “Universal Exclamation!” or “Entirely Surprised!” are fun mash-ups,  we don’t know what it means and we hope she helps define it through a life of love, happiness, grace, frivolity and adventure.”

Your second name has been around for as long as our people can remember using words. Eve is a name you share with your Aunt Rachel and with one of your great-great grandmas. It means life. In the stories of the beginnings of our people, the name is combined with the word for wind to mean “breath of life” and refer to the creative force that brought forth all life. For a thousand generations and more the name Eve celebrates the gift of life itself.

There is so much of the story of our people that is revealed in you, but it is not history that occupies our minds this day. Your birth reminds us of the beautiful surprises that await us when we look toward our future. You are a part of the story of life that stretches beyond our lives. You remind us that the wonderful love of generations past continues to live in the future that is yet unborn.

And here you are! Stunningly wonderful, incredibly, completely human. We are awestruck.

You won’t have a conscious memories of these first days when we are many miles away and you are embraced in the warmth of the love of your mother, father, brother and grandmother. You probably won’t remember the days of our first visit or know quite how hard it is for us to wait the ten days or so that separate us from holding you ourselves. But you will know that you were born into love, surrounded by love, embraced by love. You will discover that the circles of love extend far beyond your birth family. You were born into such a complex, confusing tangle of relationships that you may never know the names of all of your relatives. But you will always know that you are loved and treasured and valued. Even when you feel tempted to forget all of that love - even on the days when you feel a bit unloved, that love will surround you.

There are yet more miracles of love to be discovered. We do not know all that you will know of love. One of the deepest joys of this life is discovering depth upon depth of love. Your grandmother and I have been married for more than four decades and we continue to discover that there is more to love than we had previously known. Your journey of discovering love will take you to places we cannot imagine.

So I hope you will forgive the rambling blubbering of a grandfather who is becoming something of an old fool. The years and experiences may have colored my perceptions and sometimes add extra words to my stories, but they have not taken from me the incredible awe and wonder at the unfolding tale of life. Your birth left me speechless, but not for long. It reminds me how many unique surprises are yet to be revealed. It restores my hope.

Restored hope is just one of the gifts you bring to those of us who have been so eagerly awaiting your birth. Whenever we feel tempted to be a bit cynical, whenever we allow ourselves to become annoyed at the antics of our fellow human beings, all we need to do is to recall the day of your birth to be reminded that the gift of life is far more wonderful than its trials.

In the course of time the world will show you feelings that feel pretty uncomfortable. Someday, though I pray it will not be too soon, you will discover the pain of grief, the knowledge of loss and the depths of sorrow. None of your family would want to shelter you from the realities of life. Before then, however, we will do our best to surround you with love and care and concern and nurture and other dimensions of life so that you will develop the strength to face whatever comes.

All of that lies in your future.

Today is a celebration of thanksgiving. I keep thinking, “She’s here! She’s really here!” I keep looking at your picture an longing to hold you in my arms. I know it won’t be long and the anticipation of that moment is stronger than any of the work that I need to accomplish between now and then.

In many ways, I am an old man. I’ve seen a lot and experienced a lot and somethings I wonder if there are many surprises left for me. But last night I woke with the same amazed joy that I felt when your father was born and that first night that we shared with your Aunt Rachel.

I’ll close this first letter to you with words I used when your brother was born: “May you dwell in love all of the days that are yours and then some. Love never dies.”

Love,

Grandpa

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