My niece Dawn and hubby Rick are celebrating the birth of their sixth child—a girl! We are all so very thrilled about this new little Madelyn Kay born on January 22nd. With four sons and one daughter, Ellie, soon to be nine years old, we just thought a girl would be so nice. However, Dawn and Rick decided not to find out the sex of this little one until she was born. Dawn’s theory was that if they found out early that it was a little boy, they would be disappointed. However, once the baby is here and healthy, they would fall in love and it wouldn’t matter if it was a boy or girl. And then she came. And she is female and darling and beautiful and dearly, dearly loved! You can see for yourself.
If this baby would have been a boy, his middle name would have been Walter after Grandpa Great—Dawn’s grandpa, my dad. Ellie is named after my mother’s name—Elizabeth. My mother died 24 years ago and my father remarried nearly 19 years ago. Since the baby is a little girl, Dawn and Rick decided to give her the middle name honoring my stepmom-Katherine. It is an honor to have any child named because of your name. (One time a family named their son, Bradley, after my son because he was so admired by their other children.) I just don’t think it happens very often though that a stepmom or stepgrandma gets honored by a namesake. This is something very special for Kay but also for me and for all other steps. Congratulations Kay for being who you are and thank you to Rick and Dawn for showing such sweet honor.
I do have to tell one sweet story about one of my stepgrandsons. Grif is now almost 12 years old so this happened a long time ago when he was in kindergarten. I had picked him up from school and we were having lunch together. He said, “Grandma, did you know you are not my dad’s mother?”
“Yes, actually, I was aware of that. Your Grandma Dee was his mother but she is in heaven now with Jesus and I am your daddy’s stepmother.”
Grif looked absolutely horrified! “Well” he said, “You’re not evil or anything.”
“Thank you, Grif. Not all stepmothers are evil. I know it seems that way because Cinderella had an evil stepmother but not all stepmothers are evil.”
After thinking just briefly, Grif gave me a happy smile. “You’re right, Grandma, not all stepmothers are evil. Actually you are nice!”
“Thank you, Grif.”
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