The Power of a MOMENT

i witnessed a powerful moment back in june.  although i haven't written about it until now, there is no way i have forgotten it, nor will i ever.  it was one of those moments in life that you didn't realize was coming until it did and it was hanging thick as molasses in the air--and i am so honored and grateful that i was there to witness it. it is now etched it in my heart. 

it happened the weekend when buddy's parents were here visiting.  we took a tour of the harbor, as hamburg is one of the biggest ports in the world and that's one of the things you have to do when you come to visit this great city. her harbor calls.

it was a picture perfect day.

sun shining,

water glistening,

breeze flowing,

 birds flying over head.

it was only a 45 minute harbor tour--but it was packed with lots of TLC from grandma and grandpa. 

during the first part of the ride, the girls were upstairs and the boys were downstairs.  gracie and grandma were having fun at the game tables (grandma was practicing gracie's numbers with her)...but that wasn't the moment, although it certainly was precious and grace was soaking up every minute of it.

so as the girls were upstairs enjoying the sun and the sights and, more importantly, just enjoying time spent with one another,

buddy, his dad and jose were downstairs.  they didn't care about the sun or the birds or the passing boats or ships.  see that clear plastic thing in jose's hand?  that was what they were focusing on.  for maybe 20 minutes jose and grandpa kept tossing it to one another, back and forth, back and forth.  and they just kept laughing and laughing.

then buddy came upstairs to spend some time with his mom,

so grace and i went downstairs to visit the boys. 

now they were playing fists. 

SIMPLE FUN

QUALITY TIME

spent with their grandpa

please look at the way buddy's dad here is looking at jose.  i caught him in the act of adoring his grandson. just delighting in him.  but that wasn't the moment (although it is certainly worthy of being called a special moment) that melted my heart.

and look how gracie was just looking up at her grandpa in glee. 

a few minutes later grace decided that she wanted to go back upstairs, and so she did. this is when i witnessed the moment, and even captured it on camera.  by then jose had snuggled right up to his grandpa.

buddy's dad looked at jose.

he took his hand.

and said,

"come home with me."

COME

HOME

with

ME

that's all he said.
it's probably all he could say at that moment.

and jose just sat there looking at his grandpa with his big brown eyes and his adoring smile. and i was so taken by what i'd just seen and heard--i don't know for sure if i was breathing.  i felt like i was a stranger that got to eavesdrop on a holy moment.  honestly, i don't think my presence to the two of them was even noticed. nor should it have been.

for me, what buddy's father said in those four words communicated volumes.  there was a depth to it that i dare not fathom, though, in my curiosity, i have dared and i have fathomed. i have wondered if this is what was behind those words and the grabbing of the hands:

my sweet boy

my grandson

my grandson who i love

who i adore

who i take great delight in...

i miss you

i miss you so very much

i miss you so much it hurts

it is so hard for me to have you HERE

when i want you HOME

with me

with us

i don't care where i am with you

if it's in california wrestling on the carpet

or on the lower deck of a boat in hamburg

when i'm with you

all i know is that

i love you

i love you so much

and i want you HOME

don't know if that is a powerful enough moment for you, but for me, as i type this, i still feel small compared to the magnitude of it.