Picture, if you will, the biggest smile you have ever had…now double it.
Recall, if you will, the happiest moment of your life…now magnify it a hundred times.
Imagine, if you will, the most satisfying times of your life…now enlarge it beyond your wildest dreams.

Do all those things, at the same moment, and you still won’t approach how I feel with the birth of Levi David Walkup, our first grandchild. April 29, 2021, 10:48 a.m., 9 lbs. 9 oz.

And to Levi, I say welcome and bear with me as I share this moment with the world. You’ll have to get accustomed to my penchant for writing about life and, well, pretty much everything, and with you here the words will come in torrents.

You’ll get used to it. We can write these stories together.

Finally, after the long wait, you have arrived. From your point of view, everything you see or hear will be something new. Something you have never experienced before.  For you it is the beginning of a lifelong adventure.

If you would indulge me, what I see is a blank canvas on which to paint character, compassion, and courage. This canvass will be painted by many artists. Each will contribute until such time as the most important artist, you, completes the portrait.

We now begin a great adventure together.

To teach you and to learn along with you.

To help you understand that life is full of darkness and light, joy and sorrow, hope and hopelessness, pain and pleasure, love and anger, tears and laughter, and, most importantly, each of these moments are worth living.

For now, we will…

Share what we know.

Give you the freedom to learn your own lessons.

Enjoy every moment we can with you in your oh so brand new life.

Savor each and every breath of this experience…

I still recall the moment I first saw your mother on the day she was born. The nurse said “talk to her, she knows your voice.” So I did, and she opened her eyes, smiled, and the tears sprung from mine. And I knew, in that moment, how lucky I was to be part of her life, and, in this moment, I know how fortunate I am to be part of yours.

Ten fingers.

Ten toes.

And the infinite possibilities before you.

Imagine if you will, where we will go from here…