After a busy day at pre-school, an hour at the kid’s gym, and a T-ball game back at school, my four-year-old granddaughter made her way to the porch where I was busy with a writing project. 

She plopped down beside me with the decorum of a ballyard princess and we soon involved ourselves in the very important business of drawing bunnies, rectangular shaped houses, stick-figured children, and various other cartoon delights. 

The breeze played with palm fronds, the sky’s golden orb began its descent,  and my little lady thrust her head into my lap encouraging me for a tickle or two.

“Time for a bath,” called Mommy from the kitchen, to which my grandgirl replied in a voice barely audible and muffled still more by a thumb and balled up fist, “I am sleeping in my grandma’s lap.”  

My lips widened to a smile, a tear wet my eye, the horizon lit up in an explosion of orange — and I experienced sheer joy! Ah, does it get any better than this? The gift of life…