Grandmother’s Two Cents By Jacki Unger

There is nothing in this world that can compare to witnessing the birth of a grandchild.

Ever since my beautiful daughter was born, I thought of the different rights of passage that I would experience with her. Her first words, walking, her first day of school; all leading up to the day she would walk down the aisle and become a wife. All of those milestones were thrilling and emotional. She was my only child so I had a keen sense of enjoying the moment because it was the only chance I would have. She was a child that loved life and experienced it all. I was always there beaming with pride as she accomplished each stage. Nothing, however, prepared me for the joy of watching her children born.

When she told me that she wanted me to be present at the birth, I was surprised and thrilled. When the moment came, I was excited, nervous and anxious. Although I had given birth, I had never witnessed it and certainly never could I have imagined seeing my child give birth.

We got to the hospital early and spent the whole night together; my daughter, her husband, her yet unborn child and me! We were all excited and felt a very close bond. My son-in-law and I were the president and vice of the “Heli Fan Club” and supported her every step of the way. Nothing, however, could have prepared me for that moment when my first grandchild came into this world. The miracle of birth is so extraordinary that it changed me forever. It made me more spiritual; It made me look at the world through different eyes; It made me believe that life has a deeper meaning than I had realized before.

Two years later, I had this thrill again. Their beautiful daughter came into the world a whole lot faster than her brother did, but the miracle of that child was just as grand. I know that whether I had been there or not, I would have loved them with all of my heart but having been there for their first seconds of life, I am a changed person and I will always feel a greater part of them because of it.