A year ago when I found out (on Mother's day) that I was going to be a grandma for the first time, I celebrated at Disney with some friends. That day was special, because all day I saw grandparents and their grandchildren and I could share in their joy, seeing myself enjoying experiences with my grandchildren at the most magical place in the world!
I have always been a big fan of water slides, so I spent the majority of that day riding down the slide with a friend's grandson. We had a blast!! We ended that day with the satisfied tired that comes from being in the sun and water all day.
Every time I rode down that slide I pictured myself holding my grandbaby and sharing the exhilaration of that ride with him or her. I knew someday I would come back and ride that slide in celebration of my grand's birth.....
Fast forward a little over one year.......we had just spent a great week celebrating The Kid's 21st birthday in North Carolina. (Another big milestone..my baby is a "legal" adult). We are back in Florida, Bibba's mom, the Bibba and Yaya. We have decided to go to Disney for the day to celebrate being together for the Bibba's seventh month. I am going to ride that slide with my sweet grandbaby!!
It was exhilarating enough just being on the same slide that I had celebrated the announcement of the Bibba's arrival, but what was even more exciting was the look on the Bibba's face when she saw we were going down the windy curves of the rushing water! Her mommy went down first and she squealed in delight. I could hardly keep her still as she kicked her legs wildly!
My heart started to race when I first sat down with her on my lap and waited for the green light. A middle school aged boy nudged his friend and said "cool, a baby".... This cool baby was ready to go, while grandma started to question the sanity of what I was getting ready to do, but her mom would be at the bottom waiting for her, so the Bibba and Yaya took off......
we both laughed out loud as we careened quickly around each turn. I held on so tight and sat up so straight; to slow our progress, that you would think I was an inanimate object in a straight jacket, but Bibba laid comfortably back in my arms, in total trust just enjoying the ride.
When we got to the bottom, we saw her mom and I held her up high, not unlike Rafiki held Simba in "The Circle of Life" (we are at Disney you know....when in Rome) and just as i felt the smile appear on my face at the realization that my imaginings had come to life, the lifegaurd blew her whistle and yelled "One at a time on the slide!" I was a criminal and i was aiding and abetting in the delinquency of a juvenile. But the look on Bibba's face as she went into her mother's arms was priceless. She had enjoyed every minute of the ride!!
There is a famous quote that says, "It is easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission." I never used to agree with that until recently. Grace Hopper, the famous female Rear Admiral in the US Navy said that and I wonder if she would have made Rear Admiral if she was always running around asking permission.....
so sorry Ms. Lifegaurd, we broke the rules, but boy we had fun riding that slide of life together!!!
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