Dear Jasmine,
I missed seeing you enter this world by just a few minutes the other day, but I was happy to welcome you a week afterward. As I expected, you are just as pretty as your mother and your big sister. I see a lot of your daddy in you, too.
I remember when your mama told me you were going to be born; she had tears in her eyes. Honestly, I might have had one or two myself. It was a joyous moment, considering how long she wanted another baby. You are beloved, treasured, blessed and highly favored, young lady. There are a lot of people who have been rooting for you the entire time you were still in your mom, worrying when she had a doctor visit, and eagerly awaiting updates while you were being born. Truth be told, we likely irritated your mom and dad, but that’s just a sign of how much we love them, and how much they love you.
You are coming into a strange and sometimes scary world, Jasmine. Those of us who love your mom and dad want to do all we can to ensure you are safe and don’t have to deal with the worst of the monsters. We are your tribe, your family, and there’s not a one of us who wouldn’t do all we could to stop the earth’s rotation if that was necessary to protect you.
All the people around you and your family know some pretty cool and fun things, too.
For instance, take my wife, Miss Rhonda, whom we call the Allmother. She takes care of animals, and knows a lot about baby animals. She loves little humans too, so you can always count on her.
Steve, who we call Ski, grows an incredible garden every year. He likes learning new things, and most important, he likes sharing that knowledge, and he’s pretty good at doing so. You can learn a lot from Ski.
August and Jennifer, along with Tina and Joey and Little Preacher, are great examples of how a family should be. They always look after each other, they are always there for each other, and they know how to have fun together, too.
Cynthia and Jeff are cool because they are so different. Cynthia knows how to make things pretty; Jeff is very practical, can fix almost anything and is one of the hardest working men I know. He may look grumpy, but he’s really not. Cynthia has a wonderful redhaired daughter named Kirby whom I have watched grow up, like I hope to see you grow up, into a confident, skilled, independent young woman.
Big Mike was a policeman for a long time; from him you can learn about how to avoid bad people.
Miss Katie knows history, and she knows how to make people laugh. You’ll like her husband Andy and son W as well. They are some of the most loyal folks I have ever known, and I’m proud to call them my friends and chosen family.
April and Ian know about fighting battles, although they fought in entirely different kinds of wars. April beat cancer, and Ian fought for our country, so you could grow up free and have the chance to do your best at whatever you decide to do, years from now when you are grown.
The “other” Tina was a nurse, so she has a big heart and will worry over you and fix you if you’re hurt or sick. She also loves sunflowers, and grows the prettiest ones every year. And boy, does she know chickens. Her husband Mike has yet to see an engine or a vehicle that he couldn’t make run again.
Roland is like Mike; he can fix anything with two or more wheels. His wife Rita sees the beauty in almost everything, and captures it with her camera.
Jackie and I have been friends much longer than your mom and dad have been alive; he’s a mechanic, too, but he does much more. He understands electronics and engineering in ways I can’t describe. His wife Ann is one of the best moms I have ever had the honor to call my friend.
Now, Miss Amanda has a lot in common with your mama. She is whimsical, but practical. She loves to cook, and she’s doggone good at it. She’s always up for an adventure. She also has a whimsical side, and swears that sometimes she hears fairies laughing in the woods. She also loves fiercely. You can always count on Miss Amanda if you need her.
Someday maybe you’ll meet Mary Jean (we call her MJ) and Brandon; they are some of the most inspirational Christians I have ever known, and they know gardens, chickens, food, art and about life.
When the day comes when, like most little girls, you want to learn how to ride a horse, I expect Peter and Miss Lisa will be there for you, along with Randy and Miss Linda. They are all great parents, too, and have daughters and granddaughters like you.
All these people, and more, are part of the circle that surrounds you. That’s just the folks of your mama’s chosen family. Your daddy’s family has smart, special people who love you, too.
Oh, and me?
Well, I look forward to the day when your dad and I can take you fishing (your big sister can teach you a lot about that, as well). I want to teach you to track an animal through the woods, and help you learn about the trees and all the things that live among them, so they become like friends. I want to help you learn that not all food comes from the grocery store, so you need never be hungry if you’re determined to eat. I want you to enjoy the messy tartness of blackberries fresh from the thorny thicket, grapes from a forgotten vine, ugly old halfwild pears that drip across your face when you bite into them, purple-pink persimmons kissed by the first big frost of fall, and wild strawberries guarded by snakes, both venomous and reasonable.
I hope there will be a day when we can watch silver-gray doves flash across a September pink sky, and a deer snorts in the cold November woods, and a coyote responds when you bark a challenge, and your heart races when a turkey mistakes your call for a challenge. I hope to be there when you learn the mixture of sadness and joy that come together with providing food for your family while playing the role God means for humans to take in the circle of life.
I want to tell you stories, read to you from the books I enjoyed as a kid, and introduce you to the books that became my friends after I got older. You’re never alone with books. I want to teach you about salvation through Jesus Christ. I want to help you learn the good and bad in history – you can’t always trust schools – and learn about America and why this country is so special.
I want to help you learn to build a fence just so you know how, and fly a kite on a windy spring day.
It’s your mom and dad’s right and responsibility to help you learn to ride a bike, but I hope I’m there to see you do so the first time. I want to sing songs with you, even if they’re silly songs we make up on the spur of the moment, when dandelions are casting their seeds like snowflakes on a spring breeze.
I want to sit in your backyard with you and your sister and help you learn about the constellations, and the stories behind them. I’m too crippled to climb trees anymore, but I hope to watch you get to the point you can scamper up one as readily as any squirrel.
I hope I can help teach you that if you work hard enough, you have a chance to do anything your heart desires. It might not always work out right like you want it, but at the very least you’ll learn about not quitting. I want to encourage you to make the best decisions you can, and always do your best. I want to help you learn to think for yourself, to never take anything at face value, to find out for yourself.
I want you to know, Baby Jasmine, that babies are priceless treasures, miraculous treasures of infinite value. I consider it to be a privilege to be somewhere between an uncle and a grandpa, but whatever you decide to call me, whenever you need me, even if you have decided you don’t need me anymore — if you call, I will be there for you, as will so many others.
Welcome to the world, Miss Jasmine. May your adventures be many, and your tears few.
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