Picture of the day - November 1, 2007

Madison's first Halloween

As her proud grandparents, Cheria and I have had the opportunity to witness many "firsts" right along with Olivia, and now we're privileged to be able to watch 6-month-old Madison experience a few "firsts" of her own. Last night Madison had her first go at "trick-or-treating", and of course her big "Sissy" was there the whole time to show her the ropes. Grandchildren are among God's greatest gifts, embodying all of the hopes and dreams for the future that we were never able to realize ourselves. And while we should never try to live our own lives through the lives of our grandchildren, we should always hold fast to the hope that they will be able to climb higher, achieve greater things, and have even more fulfilling lives than we had. Our love for Olivia and Madison has no bounds, and we know they are both bright enough to succeed at anything they set their minds to. As their grandparents, Cheria and I have a duty to do everything we can to support them and encourage them as they make the important decisions that will end up steering them down the pathways of their lives. It is also our duty to try to help them make decisions that are in their best interests so they'll have the best chance at living the happy and successful lives they'll be striving to build for themselves. But most of all, it is our responsibility to love them, unconditionally, as well as to pick them up when they fall and encourage them to try again - and again - and again... These two precious little girls will have many decisions to make as they grow, learn and mature, and they'll find out soon enough that the path to happiness and success isn't at all straight and easy to follow. On the contrary, it is filled with endless curves and countless obstacles they'll have to maneuver around. But with their obvious "smarts", a little guidance from their parents and us, and the loving hand of their Heavenly Father, I think they'll end up exactly where they want to go in life. But if not, we'll love them just the same.   Click here to comment on today's picture.   Visit the POTD Archives for previous "Pictures Of The Day"!     Submit a photo of your own!            Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"