How To Be A Christian Without Being A Jerk

Faith in real life

Grandpa Diary #36

December 24th, 2013

Dear Kaylee,

Happy five months! You are sure getting to be a big girl. As we talked about earlier this week, it was your mommy and daddys’ wedding anniversary on Tuesday. The second anniversary is a “cotton” anniversary, so your mommy gave your daddy some clothes and your daddy cooked your mommy a wonderful dinner with dessert, all made from scratch, because your daddy is a great cook! He even studied at cooking school.

What about the cotton? Your daddy had cotton scented candles…

Kaylee, I’ll tell you a story about your mommy relating to your daddy. When they started going out, your mommy was pretty interested in your daddy. Then, later, I knew she was really interested because we had a daddy/ daughter talk.

We were in Maui in August, and we went for a walk along the beach at night. It was a beautiful night (always is in Maui as you will find out) and we sat on a rock wall next to the beach. Your mommy was telling me all about your daddy, and I knew, “O, O,” this could be the “one.”

Well, sure enough, your daddy was the “one.” Still is, except this time, now your mommy has the one, your daddy; your daddy has the one, your mommy; and together they have the one…

You, Kaylee

Love,
Grandpa

Grandpa Diary #33

December 2nd, 2013

Dear Kaylee,

I sure am glad they invented Facetime and Google +. You can make a video call and see someone, as well as talk to them. This was especially good when I was visiting my mommy and daddy, so they got the chance to see you “live.” They enjoyed that so much! Got the chance to see you smile and make faces.

My favorite thing is like what happened last night. I called your mommy on Google+ and she said you had been fussy. Yep, you were doing a bit of whining in your crib, but when your mommy put the phone in front of you and I said, “Kaaaayleeee! Kaaaayleeeee!” you stopped whining and broke out in a big smile.

Grandpa’s voice did the trick!

It is funny how my voice calms you down when, of course, I am a pretty loud person. So, for you, loud means, “Grandpa!”

I can whisper to you, too, so I guess that will sound like a normal person and Nana will like that better…

Love,
Loud Grandpa

Grandpa Diary #32

November 26th, 2013

Mom

Dear Kaylee,

I am on my way to the airport. I am visiting my mommy and daddy in Minnesota. We saw them in July, but I need to see them again. It is really hard for my mommy to remember me at all. I am hoping when she sees me and hugs me, a part of her brain will click into a thought that says,

“I know this guy. He’s my little boy. My Dudey.”

Your great-grandma always called me, “Dudey.” or “Dude,” or “Dudeblatz.”

I have no idea how we came up with that last one!

You know I have about 12 names I call you. The one I use the most is Kaylee Q.” Or just, “Q.”

I don’t know why I call you this, Kaylee Q, but it just fits!

Love,
Grandpa

Grandpa Diary #31

November 26th, 2013

Dear Kaylee,

Well, you are four months old today. Happy four months! You must be eating quite a bit because you now weigh twice what you weighed at birth. You are just about 15 pounds, which is about the weight of my bowling ball. So, you know what’s coming…

Kaylee, my little bowling ball!

Grandma gave me a picture frame for two pictures and one of them is you doing your best imitation of Katy Perry singing, “Roar!”

Katy Perry is one of the most popular singers in the world right now. She started out as a Christian gospel singer. Her dad is a pastor just like Grandpa. I have her first album with songs about faith and Jesus. She wrote every song on that album herself. Even as a teenager, she had an amazing voice.

Here is how you can compare yourself to Grandpa. When I was your age, the most popular singer was also a Christian who sang faith songs, but he too is much more famous for his other work. His name is Elvis Presley. “Heartbreak Hotel” was the #1 song when I was born.

You are already a wonderful singer. I love to listen to the songs you come up with your primordial singing. I know you will grow up to be a beautiful singer because your mommy is one, and the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Or I should say…

The bowling ball!

Love,
Grandpa

Grandpa Diary #30

November 18th, 2013

Dear Kaylee,

Why is it so easy for you to smile? This always happens. All we have to do is smile first. We make eye contact with you, wait a bit, and then there it is: Bright smile.

We can learn from this. The urge to smile that we have doesn’t go away when you get older. It is still there. We might be able to resist it, but not for long. You see Kaylee, when you make eye contact and smile at most people, even if they are strangers, they will smile back. It’s just how we are designed by God.

You have a wonderful tool that God uses to bring joy to your mommy and daddy. And, because God has unlimited love, there is more than enough joy to go around. Your mommy is a math teacher, so she will explain to you God’s math. It starts with infinite love. Infinite joy.

So, the more love you give away, the more love you receive. The more joy that you share with others, the more joy you receive. You can’t outgive God. Always more than you need so you can overflow with what he is giving you.

Keep smiling Kaylee- you are making the world around you different.

Love,
Grandpa

Grandpa #28

October 30th, 2013

Dear Kaylee,

Here’s more Halloween memories from Grandpa.

The first thing my brothers and I had to do was carve pumpkins. I don’t remember where our pumpkins came from, but because we lived in a city that was close to farms in Wisconsin, I suppose the local farms supplied them. My daddy, your great-grandpa would carve a pumpkin, too, and it was always silly, rather than scary.

I would also go trick or treating with your uncles. We knew everyone in our neighborhood and so we would go out by ourselves, while your great grandma and grandpa would stay home and hand out candy. My dad would always hand out full size candy bars because he wanted the kids to get something real good! After a few years trick or treating, you learn who has the best stuff.

We would get some things you probably won’t get when you go trick or treating. Apples, popcorn balls, and maybe even five pennies taped together with Scotch tape. I guess those people didn’t like candy, but I think it is more likely they ran out and so they improvised!

We would use pillow cases for the candy and they would hold a lot. Because your uncles are brothers, we would fight sometimes. This was especially fun when you would hit each other with pillow cases full of candy. Your Uncle David is the strongest, and so when I was swinging at him I wish I had all apples in my pillow case!

Your mommy didn’t fight with your uncles, though. She was always tougher than they were until they got older, and then they liked her too much by then to fight, though she could still punch them good if she needed to!

Another thing that happened on Halloween is that older kids would try to scare you. They would hide and jump out from behind a bush or a tree. They would be ghosts or monsters or something else scary. This didn’t work for us Hanson boys, however.

You see, Kaylee, our daddy and grandpa were funeral directors. We grew up seeing dead people at our grandpa’s house because he lived over the funeral home.

So, when you’re used to seeing dead people at your grandpa’s house, some kid with a wolfman mask who jumps at you from behind a bush might surprise you, but he sure isn’t going to scare you!

No one will scare you when you go trick or treating because your daddy will be with you and he is a strong man who doesn’t even need a pillow case full or apples!

Love,
Grandpa

Grandpa Diary #27

October 30th, 2013

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

Grandpa Diary #26

October 30th, 2013

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 #22

September 30th, 2013

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

Grandpa Diary #21

September 24th, 2013

Dear Kaylee,

When you went for your check-up at the doctor’s office last week, your mommy worried about one thing…

Shots!

Your mommy says, “I hate needles!”

Did you know that when your mommy or daddy are afraid of something, you will probably be, too? Yes, we can learn fears from our parents and we are really good at picking them up from a very early age. It didn’t do me much good to remind your mommy not to get too freaked out when you got your shots, because she was probably going to start tearing up after the first one anyway.

And you got five shots! Ouchy!

There are many things your mommy doesn’t like. Snakes and lizards are definitely up there, for example. That is why it is such a good idea that your mommy and daddy bought a house in a semi-arid desert area-

Perfect home for snakes and lizards!

Kaylee, this is an example of a useful tool of language (if you are gentle)-

Sarcasm.

Back to the needles. Your mommy doesn’t like needles and blood. Yet, she wanted to go to school to be a doctor. She got a scholarship to study to be a doctor, but right before she started, she told me and Nana she didn’t want to be a doctor. How could she when she didn’t like needles and blood?! We didn’t mind, though, because if you are going to have a job, you want to do things you enjoy and are really passionate about (We didn’t mind also, because she got to keep her scholarship, too!).

It is good your mommy is a teacher. Especially a math teacher. This will come in real handy as you get older. Just take my word for it.

Kaylee, let me tell you one more thing about shots. Grandpa didn’t like to get shots either. I remember when I was a little boy I had to go to the doctor’s office and get a shot. I was afraid and I didn’t want one. So, when the nurse pulled down my pants to give me the shot, I got away and started running out of the doctor’s office!

The office was on the second floor above a bank. I ran screaming, out of the waiting room and got to the stairs and made it down into the bank lobby before anyone caught me.

I was pretty fast even with my pants pulled partway down!

I still got the shot, though. It’s really good for us to let doctor and nurses help take care of us. Maybe, another reason I was so afraid of going to the doctor was his name. Kaylee, I am not making this up. You can ask Great Grandpa Hanson. His name was…

Dr. Shott!

Love,

Grandpa