Tuesday 16 June 2009

Just Gone Midnight

I've done this before - started a bog and not kept it up. Well maybe this is going to be different. After all it is The Next Bit. Which is a bit trite. Like saying today is the first day of the rest of your life. Very true, I'm sure, but a touch too glib to mean much.

It's just gone midnight, so I am currently in the first 10 minutes of the first day of the rest of my life. Which means I should be in bed, and I certainly will be soon. Having the first sleep of the rest of my life I suppose. So this won't be a long entry.

But I started this blog for a reason, and that reason is called Kitty. She came into the world and into my life on the 13th May 2009. I suppose for her the 13th was the first day of the whole of her life. And what an amazing day it was. As I was the Grandfather I waited at home to hear the news of Kitty's arrival, which didn't come til late on in the afternoon, by which time I was a bit of an impatient mess. Kitty was born to Lucy, my youngest daughter who is a tender thing of 36 years. Her sister Abby was her birth partner, and Lucy and Kitty are living in (Grand)Dad's house for an indefinite period. Three generations under one roof. Pretty cool.

Now, Kitty has Down's Syndrome. I was told this pretty soon after I saw Kitty for the first time in the delivery room. On the 13th of May 2009 I really didn't know how to take that piece of information in. I had so much wanted it to be Lucy's very special day without any complication and for I while I was just plain old confused. In truth there wasn't much complication, just a beautiful calm little baby (who wasn't called Kitty at that time) who was just getting on with the first day of the rest of her whole life. (I'll stop this now, before I start printing bumper stickers and giving them out in the street).

It seems like a lifetime ago now. Well it is a lifetime for Kitty. She is only a month old and we (family, friends) have learned so much about what is important and what is irrelevant. Without trying, Kitty has already given us an amazing amount. I feel
so joyous and glad to have Kitty in my life. What a gift. What an amazing gift.