Dear Matthew,
This blog’s for you, buddy. You’ll probably worry that one of your friends may run across it, but hey – not many 13-year-olds are going to be looking on-line for something written by an old grandmother. So I think you’re safe on that.
Matthew, this is a thank you letter. For what? Oh, just for asking to come spend the night with your GDaddy and BeBe. We know that won’t happen all that many times before you’re off and gone on your adult life adventures, and we just want you to know how important every hour is that we get to spend with you. Silly, I know. But that’s how we old people think.
After we knew you were coming for sure, you won’t believe the time we spent thinking what we could do to make your visit with us fun and memorable. GDaddy talked about going to Fort Matanzas, fishing, and biking. I talked about taking you along to the Flagler Humane Society and letting you “assist” with kitty photos (we’ll do that next time, if you’reinterested). Then I started researching surfing movies (because BeBe knows surfing is one of your great loves).
When you arrived and we threw all our “researched” suggestions out, you voted to start off with a bike ride. You and GDaddy left, and 20 miles later you returned. You’d both biked down A1A to Flagler Beach, crossed the Flagler Beach Bridge, looped around to the Hammock, crossed the Hammock Bridge, and then biked home back on A1A. You were tired, but you sure were a happy tired!
We went to the Turtle Shack for dinner. You devoured your crab cake sandwich in three huge bites and then finished off your French fries and my fried shrimp.
Upon our return home you settled on the couch under a snuggle blanket (sorry to mention that, but that’s what it was), and we rented A View from a Blue Moon from Amazon, a recently released surf movie I found that turned out to be a documentary on one of your favorite surfers, John John Florence. I’ll confess that GDaddy and I were prepared to be bored silly, but A View from A Blue Moon was one of the most beautifully photographed movies we’d ever seen. That your GDaddy didn’t go to sleep and start snoring until the last 10 minutes is a testament to that statement.
The movie ended at 9:00, and you surprised us by saying, “I’m sleepy. I think I’ll go to bed.” I think you were asleep before your head hit the pillow.
Saturday morning was planned around fishing. While we were still having our coffee you headed out to the seawall to see if the fish were biting . . .
You passed up that trip to Fort Matanzas to continue fishing, and off you and GDaddy went to Big Al’s Bait Shop.
Now Matthew, you really need to read this next part very carefully.
You see . . . we’ve lived here for over a year now, and your mom and dad and Jordan have come and your Uncles Jason and Blake have come, and most all of them like to fish. But it was only when YOU came that your GDaddy went to Big Al’s and bought a casting net (because you needed one to catch bait fish) and a live bait aerator (so those shrimp would stay alive for a few hours). And it was only when YOU came that GDaddy actually picked up the rod & reel he bought 15 months ago and . . .
Matthew, a lot of friends in Georgia and Michigan ask us all the time why we moved to Florida.
Right now, Matthew, you may think this is all pretty silly – and that’s ok. But, maybe years from now – when you’re fishing with your own son or daughter – a little light will go off in your memory, and you’ll remember this day. And – technology being what it is – you’ll be able to look up this thank you letter on-line and read it to them. And maybe, just maybe, it will make you remember how much GDaddy and BeBe loved spending time with you.
And I hope that makes you smile.
We love you, Matthew!
GDaddy and BeBe
That is the sweetest letter. Thank you! Time with our grandchildren are so short and few.
Dang girl u got me shedding tears! As I have said so many times you and Ted are blessed in so many ways.
This was so wonderfully written and so special! Matthew is indeed lucky to have you both as you are having him. Thanks for sharing his visit. 😄😄😄
Beautifully written and so true. You tell your kids about unconditional love and they don’t understand until they have children. That love continues when they give you grandchildren. Ellen
On Sun, Jan 17, 2016 at 4:08 PM, Brees Mackinac Island Blog wrote:
> bree1972 posted: “Dear Matthew, This blog’s for you, buddy. You’ll > probably worry that one of your friends may run across it, but hey – not > many 13-year-olds are going to be looking on-line for something written by > an old grandmother. So I think you’re safe on that. ” >
How special it is to make these memories!
Such sweet words and a special time with your grandson. Loved reading about the adventure.
Great memories are always worth sharing even if he waits until he has a son or daughter.
Oh my, tears & smiles all at the same time. Precious of you to memorialize your love for him where he can find it when he is grown ♡♡.
Gail
Love this! Thank you for sharing.
Such sweet words and making memories with your grandson.
Well that just put a lump in my throat!! That was beautiful Brenda…
That’s a keeper. How precious! Matthew and Patrick (also 13) would get along great. 🙂
Brenda,
Such a beautiful letter. Matthew may not appreciate it now (then again, he may appreciate it much more than you’ll ever know). I’ll admit to burning eyes and a lump in my throat as I read and remembered going into “The Little Woods,” as we called it, for my 2-4 year old grandson to throw sticks in the water behind our lot in the trailer park where we lived in Grand Rapids twenty plus years ago. Memories are so wonderful and Matthew will have some great ones when he reads this many years from now, and you and Ted will too.
Thanks for sharing your story! It is great to be able to spend time with grandchildren and that they want to spend time with you. It truly is a blessing for all!!
Sweet memories God allows us the time to make with our loved ones may seem to be few and far between. But golden they are, we just returned home from my folks home with the 20 and 24 year olds. As they are back at their respective schools tonight, a call to Mama and Daddy’s recalled the weekend we had spent with them.
The memories shall last for a very long time…. Our sweet fur baby is sound asleep in the corner, so it must have been fun!
Matthew and his Gdad looked as content as you sounded I didn’t realize we had grandsons the same age…:)
What a lovely thing to do for your grandson. 😘
Brenda, that brought tears…lovely.
Date: Sun, 17 Jan 2016 21:08:53 +0000 To: carolemackwed@hotmail.com
Such a great way to start my week. Thank you for reminding me (again) how all time spent with my kids is ‘special’ time and has the potential to be memory making. Usually the big productions and plans don’t have the same impact as the authentic and simple.
Thanks everyone for the sweet words. I sent the post to Matthew, and he texted back a big THANK YOU! Best grandson EVER!
Three cheers for Grandmas who let their grandsons know that they are loved!