Dear Kaylee,
Halloween is coming up! This is an American holiday where children get to dress up in make-believe and go to their neighbor’s houses or apartments and do something called, “Trick or treat.” This is when your knock or ring the bell of your neighbor’s house and say, “Trick or treat!” Then they open the door and put candy in a bag that you are carrying. When you are finally done, you go back home and your mommy and daddy help you sort out your candy and tell you how much of it you can eat.
Well, minus the candy that mommy and daddy sneak out of the pile and eat themselves, that is!
If this sounds like fun, that’s because it is fun! You already picked out your pumpkin, too, at the pumpkin patch. When you are a little older, you will get to carve your pumpkin and give it a scary or a silly face and there will be a candle inside that makes the light shine inside and it looks amazing at night. You will really love that.
So, what was Halloween like for Grandpa?
Well, we would dress up in costumes just like you do. Grandpa’s favorite costumes were a Superman costume and being a cowboy. Grandpa liked Superman so much that he insisted on using his name for a long time. In school he even signed his homework,
“Dana Edward Superman Hanson!”
Grandpa’s teacher didn’t think that was a good idea…
Kaylee, your mommy had really cute costumes! Nana would make them. My favorites were Princess Jasmine and a cow. We still have the Jasmine costume so…guess who is going to be Princess Jasmine for Halloween in a couple years? My guess is-
You!
Love,
Grandpa
How To Be A Christian Without Being A Jerk
Faith in real life
Grandpa Diary #26
Dear Kaylee,
What is going on behind those eyes of yours? I think at your age you can see clearly about 15 inches or so. I notice you like bright colors and patterns. So, close up, I’m holding colorful objects, shaking a small rattle back and forth, laying you on a colorful mat with stuff hanging above you and watching you look around- those kind of things.
When we are involved in these activities, I wonder if you are thinking,
“Why doesn’t that guy just relax and let me be?”
No, my hunch is you like to have things happening around you so you can get to know your world. Yet, it is at a very quiet, very focused time that I see you the most attentive. It is the time your eyes are most still and most focused, staring right into my eyes. It is when I am cradling you in my arm and feeding you a bottle.
I love that time of the day. You are safe, hugging close to your grandpa’s side, and the look in your eyes says,
“Everything is going to be alright…”
As it should be.
Love,
Grandpa
Grandpa Diary #25
Dear Kaylee,Your uncles were home for the weekend to celebrate their birthdays. As you know, they are twins, so one birthday means two cakes! Your other uncle, Matthew was with us, too, and we all went out to the Pumpkin Patch. You were fascinated looking around and seeing all the commotion. There were tons of people, a band playing music, we saw many animals- what a day! We took pictures, of course, but we couldn’t sit you on the hay bale because it bothered your bare feet! The pumpkins were big and small, with many strange shaped gourds, too.
Your uncles especially liked that some of the gourds were really strange shaped, but you will have to wait until you are much older to ask your mommy why your dad, your uncles and grandpa were laughing so hard…
When your mommy picked out your pumpkin it was just the right shape and size. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when it is carved and lit up.
When we left, I just wanted to hold my pumpkin, who is just the right shape and size.
My Kaylee-pumpkin doesn’t need a candle inside, though, because her smile is always lighting up wherever she goes!
Love,
Grandpa
What can we do about bullying?
The answer in easy to understand and hard to do.
“Am I 102?”
“Bills increasing access to abortion signed by Gov. Jerry Brown”
-San Jose Mercury News
“Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill allowing more medical professionals to perform abortions…The Assembly passed the bill on a 50-25 vote in May, and the state Senate passed it on a 50-25 vote in August, with most Democrats and no Republicans voting for it.”
Dear 101 lawmakers of California,
You have ignored every instinct you have ever had, every bit of intelligence you have ever mustered, every sense of moral outrage you have ever possessed, and you have willingly decided to make it more likely that children in our state are killed on purpose.
No amount of linguistic gymnastics (“reproductive health,” “women’s rights”), no attempt to “plead the fifth” morally and philosophically (sorry, everyone has a worldview; everyone has a filter) no trying to change the subject to “what about children killed in war” and such (yep, that’s horrendous, too, but let’s focus here…), no, I’m sorry, but any attempt to explain or justify what has just happened is never going to change the fact that you have consciously decided to make it more likely that children in our state will be killed on purpose.
100% of you were not aborted when you were children.100% of you. 100% of children who were aborted and 100% of the children who will be aborted, more now according to your own estimates and according to your vote, well, they had no chance to decide on anything. They’re dead.
You see, children who are killed on purpose don’t have voice or vote. So, you, 101 human beings who have escaped being killed as children (50 Assembly, 50 House, and the Governor of California), you have made it law that there will be more children who will not have the same right to live. You have made it more likely that children now and in the future will not have the most precious gift, life, that you, the 101, take for granted every day.
They didn’t get to vote on this. They were never heard on this issue. But they are heard, according to my worldview.
Hear these words.
“I have heard the cry of my people…”
Sincerely,
Dana Hanson
“Wrestler”(Wrestling with God and my conscience because I am part of a culture that practices child sacrifice, and wrestling because I am one who voted for one of you. Wrestling continues…)
Grandpa Diary #24
Dear Kaylee,
Today is your Great-Grandma Hanson’s birthday. She will receive flowers from Nana and me today. Irises. Her absolute favorites! My mommy used to have irises bordering our yard, irises at our cottage on the lake, irises at their townhouse after I moved- Irises and more irises.
They are beautiful flowers and when I see one I instantly think of my mommy. That’s how it is with beautiful things. Beauty always points us to something beyond ourselves. Flowers are amazing, because in every culture that is capable of growing flowers, they have grown flowers. Who doesn’t like flowers?
People are just like bees and bunnies. They looove flowers!
And how wonderful that flowers come in so many gorgeous shapes and sizes, and especially, O, the colors!
This is just another reason I know how much God loves us. God could have just given us drab looking plants, and there you have it. Instead God is a thoughtful artist who uses all the paints on his palette.
Hey, Kaylee, guess what is my favorite flower? Iris.
And one of the funny things that some men like grandpa like to say? We call the women we love, flowers. When you put a bunch of flowers together, it’s called a bouquet, so let me tell you about my bouquet.
My most special bouquet is centered around your Nana, the most precious flower, worth more than the rarest orchid in the world. Then there is the Kristina flower, who is the the woman I love more than anyone except your Nana. She has a strong stem, with the gentlest of petals. Your Great-Grandma Lindgren is in the bouquet because she loves me lots, and she raised your amazing Nana. Then surrounding the whole bouquet is irises, because my mommy showed me how much God loves me by just being my mommy.
“But, what about your Kaylee flower?” I can hear you say.
Well, because you are new in my life, I have to admit, I think about you more than any of my other flowers. So, for now, you are my little boutonnière, closest to my heart. The rest of the bouquet won’t get jealous, though, because…they feel the same way!
Love,
Grandpa
What is bullying?
It is so difficult to address the topic of “bullying,” as the government guidelines of what constitutes bullying are so nebulous. By our government’s (stopbullying.gov) definition, it actually appears that every child in America is, at one time or another, a bully!
Grandpa Diary #23
Dear Kaylee,
It was your uncles’ birthday yesterday. Uncle Greg and Uncle David are 22 years old. This made me stop and think. This means that the last time Grandpa changed diapers was over 20 years ago!
It doesn’t take long to change you. We used cloth diapers for your uncles and that meant diaper, pins, and plastic pants. Now we use disposable diapers and its “Zoop, clean, zoop, ready to go!”
By the way, I call you “frog” when I am changing you because you kick your legs back and forth as I am getting down to business. We are getting pretty good at the routine. I am thinking about promoting synchronized diapering for the next Olympics. Grandpa and Kaylee can be in the “senior” division.
One thing you are learning about your uncles that you will grow to appreciate. They are both hilarious. They will be fooling around with you all the time, just like they do with your mommy and daddy. Uncle Greg said he wanted to teach you a bad word for your first word.
“Crap.”
So, your mommy said if he does that, y’all are going to call him “Uncle Crappy.” Sure, enough, your mommy sent a birthday picture yesterday to “Uncle David and Uncle Crappy.”
Don’t worry, Grandpa will make sure to put a stop to this particular shenanigans. We’ll teach you a different nickname for Uncle Greg that starts with the letter, “G.”
Uncle Goofy!
Love,
Grandpa
On death and dying
Observations on death and dying from a pastor/ funeral director’s son
Grandpa Diary #22
Dear Kaylee,
It was really good to see you this morning! Now that you are at our house during the week, the weekend seems like an awfully long time to be away. Nana was out with you at your house on Saturday, as she was helping your mommy decorate your new room, so at least she got to see you one more day (Jealous Grandpa!).
Kaylee, I wonder if this is going to ever get old? You know, where we take each other for granted and not being with each other isn’t a big deal? Where Grandpa doesn’t mind if he doesn’t see his little Kaylee Q ( I call you that sometimes now, and I don’t know why) for awhile. I don’t think that will ever happen as long as we stay connected.
You see, to say that you are my granddaughter is saying you are part of me. You are part of my identity. On my driver’s license there should be one more category that describes me. Here is what it would say:
Sex: Male
Hair: Not Much
Eyes: Blue (just like a little girl I know)
Height: 6’2″ ( shrunk, 6 1 1/2″- gravity)
Weight: 190 (target weight:))
Kaylee: Yes!!Love,
Grandpa