Taking our Granddaughter Lyla for a Stroll & Flower-Gazing with Her Little Red Umbrella
"Every child is a different kind of flower,
and all together, make this world a beautiful garden."
—Author unknown
While Cecile was preparing lunch for our daughter Michelle who stopped by with our 2-month old
granddaughter Emmy, I played with Lyla who had been dropped off earlier. She had kept her Nonnie busy with only the love and tenderness a mother and grandmother knows. Lyla continues to love her American Girl dolls hand-me-downs from the 1980s that Cecile had saved from when Michelle was a young child. The dolls and wardrobe trunk are in mint condition and fall into the collector category.
Lyla is fascinated with the little red doll umbrella but she didn’t have the strength to open it fully. “Papa, can you open this?” she asked me.
At first I didn’t think it opened all the way, but with a little extra oomph I managed to get it open. Cecile reminded me to pick up the newspaper from our friends, the Rothenberg's drive-way who were out of town visiting family and place it in a secure place behind their side yard gate. I invited Lyla to take a walk with me and welcomed her to take her red umbrella. Technically, it is a parasol. Though the words are used interchangeably, umbrellas are to protect against rain and a parasol protects against the sun as you can see in the photos. I know it’s a grandfather’s pride speaking, but she looked too cute for words in her Barbie sweatshirt, pink slacks and her trusty parasol.
Along the way, Lyla stopped to see the bluish-purple irises and red poppies of another neighbor and friends (Gretchen and Bruce) on the corner of our cul-de-sac we share. Lyla compared the latter with her parasol by commenting on the similarity in color. As we turned the corner to the left onto the main street of our gated community we approached the Rothenberg home. I had Lyla pick up the newspaper and invited her to put it under their gate, which she did and then proceeded to enjoy the large blooming roses and an assortment of other flowers that were blooming quite beautifully.
We then took a short-cut to the tennis courts, ponds and waterfalls to see the ducks, geese and turtles. Placing her red parasol near the end of a wooden cross bridge behind her she proceeded to play with the graveled dirt always comparing it to the sand at the beach. After about 15 minutes of play time, we began to walk back and she reached out her arms for me to pick her up.
We returned to Nonnie and Papa's home and enjoyed a fresh mixed-salad with chopped eggs, mulberries sweet potatoes, avocados and other goodies along with baby artichokes. Michelle’s husband Kyle took a break from work to join us. Lyla shared her activities with Papa with Nonnie with her mom and dad. Aside from playing with Lyla, I got to hold and whisper pleasant tidings to baby Emmy, who shook her little arms and legs as newborns do, smiling and looking at me intently with her bright blue eyes. Who could ask for anything more? Thanks Michelle for capturing this tender moment.
Children [grandkids] are like flowers
Water them with love
Nourish them with praise
Give them a compliment
Each and every day
Be their sun
When all you see is rain
Protect them from storms
And shelter their pain
Children are like flowers
That blossom everyday
—Angela Charles
