Seeing life anew through a grandparent’s eyes

“He’s perfect.”
Hearing those words from our youngest daughter gave my life new perspective late Saturday afternoon, when Blayke and her husband, Joe, gave us the most precious gift imaginable: our first grandchild — Arlo Van Froehner.
There’s a unique kind of awe that settles in when you hold your first grandchild. It’s the sudden realization that life has come full circle, and somehow your heart finds room you didn’t know it had. 
Siblings and friends have been telling me for years that you simply can’t understand the depth of a grandparent’s love until you experience it firsthand. I had pondered that thought with anticipation for the last nine months, but until Saturday could only imagine.
Then came the FaceTime call we’d been waiting for and within minutes Paula and I were on our way to Omaha.
It didn’t take long to conclude that becoming a grandparent is a special privilege — a second chance to savor the miracle of new life without the frantic pace of parenthood. When I met Arlo on Saturday, just six hours into his journey, time seemed to slow. It was as if life handed me a quiet reminder of what truly matters, a blessing from God wrapped snuggly in a 6-pound, 10-ounce bundle.
The moment I held him, I understood why people say grandchildren are life’s bonus. Parenthood teaches, stretches, and humbles us, but grandparenthood gives something altogether different: perspective. It reminds us that amid the noise and motion of daily life, the most precious gifts still arrive quietly, strengthening and expanding family bonds with each gentle breath.
Our little guy is indeed perfect — and precious, I might add. It’s a bit too soon to tell whether his tiny features reflect more of his mother or father, but Dad is already noting that his 10 little fingers look like they’re forming a natural golfer’s grip:-) That comment made me laugh out loud, smiling inwardly at the thought of sharing a favorite hobby with my grandson in a few years’ time.
Passing on life’s joys to the next generation is a family tradition I look forward to. One tradition young Arlo has already introduced me to involves a new title, somewhat unique to our family.
While Grandpa is the favored name for most men in the club I’ve just joined, Granddad has become a Johnson family tradition. Blayke and her sister called my dad Granddad, as I did my paternal grandfather, and as my father did years ago before me. That makes me Granddad J No. 4 — a name I’ll proudly honor.
Truth be told, in a year or so I’ll happily answer to whatever name Arlo decides to call me. Welcome to my world, Little Man.
KURT JOHNSON can be reached at kjohnson@ hamilton.net