A Sweet Love Unspoken

I call my 20-month-old grandson Sebastian
from Las Vegas. I haven’t seen him for 4 days, and I long for a grandma
connection. Shortly after Grandpa Doug, who is taking care of Sebastian,
answeres the phone, I hear Sebastian, clearly expressing his desire to talk
with his grandma.

What follows is magical. Sebastian is
learning to talk so he has a small vocabulary for having a conversation. However,
as soon as he is on the phone, I feel wrapped in love, an eager,
reaching-out-to-connect desire that warms my heart. I tell him, “Hi, Sebastian!
I love you so much!”

After a short silence on his end, I hear,
“Shoe!” one of his favorite words. I ask him if he has his shoes. I tell him I am
wearing mine.

Then he clearly says, “Key!” his most
loved word in the English language. I hear from Grandpa that they are trying to
find his keys. They had disappeared yet again.

Sebastian laughs, reaching out to
connect.

“Shoe!”

Our conversation is short on words and
abundant in joy and love for one another. My heart fills to over-flowing. Tears
fill my eyes. Sweetness! I walk back into the meeting room, knowing in a
profound, unspoken way that I am loved more than words can possibly express. Life is
beautiful!