A Letter from Anda

March 2, 2020

Greetings from where we wait for you,

To Our Most Precious Possible,

I’m writing to welcome you to this place.  You have already heard our voices and felt us pushing back against your little feet as you stretched and turned.  In a little while you will see us, see this world that waits for you, and it will all be amazing. 

We are waiting patiently, but the anticipation is like a living presence mirroring all we do.  That excitement is a small facet of the love you feel, will feel from us the rest of your life.  Sometime soon you will join us. In this little space between now and then, I am writing to tell you we have been thinking of you, praying for you, weaving you into our existence.

Your parents have already dedicated themselves to your life.  You sense that now, but you will experience it in new ways in the days and years to come.  You will see they are brilliant and kind and fun.  They have a passion for life which shows up in each day, and now will be part of your days.  It is a powerful thing they are doing, and it is all for you.

Your parents chose you and in that act they connected with the best part of themselves.  Knowing themselves and finding their best is something they are good at; I have seen it over and over.  And now they bring their gifts and strengths to create a path for you to travel with them.  You are the luckiest.

Your Dad is my Son in Life, a part of our family, as you are.  I have claimed him as friend, and he is one of my favorite people in the world.  He is a remarkable person; you will love spending time with him.  He will make you laugh and teach you things and challenge you and inspire you. 

Your Mom is my Daughter.  I love her, and am proud of her in myriad ways, too many to tell you here, but there will be time later. She is compassionate, a deep thinker, intensely aware.  I also want you to see that she has Steel, meaning that beneath her gentle exterior is a remarkable strength that has been tested and proven.

When your Mom was little, she would call my Dad, her grandfather, ‘Anda’.  A few months ago, I sat next to your Mom by the fire here and asked her if I could take that name for you now.  It pleased her so much I knew it was right.  This is a sample of the magic you will have in your life, this connection between you and the family who cherishes you.

One day soon I will hold you, and in our time, you will know me and be comfortable enough to sleep in my arms.  You will feel something that is timeless among us, and you won’t have words for it for many years, but here is a sample of what you will sense.

On a snowy night many years ago, when your Mom was a baby, not much older than you now, we were driving in the dark on a long trip.  It was hard to see, and the roads were slippery, and your Gramma and I were tired and worried.  Your Mom was in the back seat and she was hungry and weary of being in the car and so she cried.   We pulled over and I pushed out into the snow and climbed into the back seat with her and gave her a bottle.

As we sat there the snow covered the windows, sealing us in our warm cocoon.  I held your Mom and felt her grow at ease in my arms and in turn I felt comforted by her, felt the tension slip away and something new take its place, a kind of peace.  We sat in that tiny sanctuary, and I watched her eyes watch me until she finally fell asleep, and then so did I.

This is what you will feel.  Our family holding, loving, caring, for generations upon generations until the time that you are in your parent’s arms, and one day in mine. 

There will be books and music and nature and friends and love and on some days there will be difficulties and aches.  We will be there to celebrate with you, and to comfort you, and when you need us, to join in your challenges.  There are people who I want you to meet, who right this minute are wondering about you, eager to meet our Baby Bird.  They are part of this love you feel.

By the time you can read this you will already know most of what this is about.  That you are treasured, that you belong to a family of incredible people, that the world is a beautiful and challenging place that you will be thrilled to discover.

We need you.  One of the lessons that I am just learning is that witnessing your beginning renews our souls, reminds us to have our hearts open, to be amazed, to be more of who we are meant to be.  We also need the peace you bring.  You know.  Beyond that, the world needs you, places its hope in you.  We will tell you more about that when the time comes.

My wish for you is to feel this all and make it part of who you are.  I want that to become some of the best that is in you, and to feel that passion, and share it with those you love and the world that waits.  I would hope that the magic and awe you feel on your first day will be with you for all of your days.

Hope this finds you in our nest,

Anda

Copyright © 2020 David Smith