The answer to a prayer named Scottie Jean

“Scottie Jean, you changed the game.”
Those words from a catchy acoustic ballad became an instant hit the first time I heard them, echoing a heartfelt sentiment that’s hard to fully capture in words alone. The little girl inspiring the title is my new granddaughter, and she has already wrapped her tiny hands, and her entire being, around my heart.
Scottie Jean Spangler is a blessing in so many ways. Our oldest daughter, Robyn, and her husband, Steve, who live in Georgetown, Texas, added another feather to our family nest Dec. 30 in what truly feels like an answer to many prayers. Paula and I are Blessed x2 as this new year begins, after welcoming our first grandchild, Arlo Van Froehner, just 45 days earlier.
We ventured south to Texas last week to meet our new little miss, a journey that reflected a subtle but unmistakable shift in priorities. There may be a lot happening in the day‑to‑day world, but I make no apologies for letting my mind drift, often and gladly, to the newest member of our clan.
Sitting alone in the early‑morning darkness with this precious new bundle of life, I found myself completely mesmerized as I rocked her gently while she slept. The world felt smaller, softer, and somehow more hopeful in that moment. I couldn’t help but wonder: What will your life be like, little girl? What joys will make you laugh out loud? What challenges will shape you? What quiet victories will one day make you and your parents proud?
As grandparents, we know we won’t control her path, and that’s as it should be. Our role is simpler and yet meaningful: to love her unconditionally, to cheer her on relentlessly, and to be a steady presence she can always count on. Holding Scottie Jean in that still moment, I felt both the weight and the wonder of that responsibility, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
That song I mentioned above (which is linked to this column on the ANR website) will forever be etched into my memory, and my favorites playlist. Our son‑in‑law gets partial credit, as he documented some of the emotional challenges he and Robyn faced while starting a family, then asked AI to help put their story to music. The end result is amazing, reflecting incredible if not startling changes in the musical landscape, though that’s a topic for another day.
After several gut‑wrenching setbacks, they began the adoption process just seven months before Scottie took her first breath. Now, as the song so beautifully puts it, “All those losses fade from view, when I see life staring back from you.” And then the line that says it all: “Scottie Jean, my dream come true.” Indeed.
Scottie’s name seems to fit her perfectly. Her grandfather, the late Scott Spangler, lives on through a granddaughter he never met, and her middle name is a loving nod to her Grandma Paula. Life, at its core, really is about family, the ones who came before us and the ones who will carry the story forward.
As I held her there in the quiet, I realized something else. Little Scottie isn’t just beginning her own story. She’s adding a new chapter to ours, one that reminds us where we’ve been, why it mattered, and how hope keeps finding its way back into our lives. 
And if that isn’t changing the game, I don’t know what is.

KURT JOHNSON can be reached at kjohnson@hamilton.net

Click here to listen to the song Scotty Jean