Great Grandson

Dear Jack,

You are a great grandson. You are the fourth generation of this family, Nolen and Roberts.

I find it hard enough to imagine that your daddy was once your Gram's baby boy, but to picture that your Gram was once your Nana's little girl is one of those "world within a world" thoughts in my head. It works the same way with me to you: I can imagine you one day grown up with a baby of your own. But to imagine your baby's baby?

It is easy to me, though, to picture your great grandparents as the folks who played with and indulged your daddy when he was a little boy. I can see in the way they look at him that they adored him when he was little like you and they still think he's pretty special.

I have a hard time picturing the day when your great grandmothers were holding their own babies, but I can see them in my mind's eye holding your daddy when he was a toddler like you.

I think of the story Great Grandma Nolen tells when she found out we were expecting your sister. She told your Aunt Jessica, your daddy's cousin, "I'm going to be Great Grandma!" Jessica said, "But Grandma, you're already great!"

That's what a great grandma really is. She's a grandma who's been around long enough to be really great at the art of being a grandma.

Your Great Grandma Nolen and Great Grandpa Nolen and your Nana Roberts certainly are all great with you.

Love,
Mom