My daughter moved to New Mexico a couple of years ago with her boyfriend, who had work out there. They had been trying for a baby for a long time. Last year, they eloped and got married at a national park in Utah. I received beautiful wedding photos of them in some canyon, out in the middle of nowhere. A month later, they came back to visit me and her dad. It was Mother's Day, and they gave us an ultrasound image and told us they were pregnant.

The truth is, I had dreaded being a grandparent. I found children I saw in stores and restaurants kind of entitled and whiny. Although I had given birth to two adult children, I worried about how I would feel about being around a small child again. I also thought being a grandma was a job for an old person, and although I am aging, I was not ready.

But the moment I saw the ultrasound, my heart melted. I could not wait to meet this child. At the end of November, Madeline was born. She was named after the storybook that my daughter loved as a child. When they came to visit in January, I held her close, told her stories, and never wanted to put her down. Eventually, they had to go home, and I felt like a part of me was ripped away.

The great thing is, I have been able to video chat with my daughter and the baby, and sometimes her dad and the baby. They send me a ton of photos. I read to her constantly and have seen many of her accomplishments and been privy to everything they have been up to. Although Madeline is now trying to grab the phone and eat it, she even has a tooth now.

My daughter took Madeline to a botanical garden this spring with a mommy's group and sent me a photograph. I knew immediately that I was going to use this photo for my daughter's first Mother's Day gift, one year from when I got the best gift of my life. This kid is always smiling, at least when I see her. And I love being her grandma! My daughter is the best momma ever!

Madeline & the Rose is a watercolor, marker, and acrylic painting on watercolor paper, 2024. I mailed it to my daughter in a mailing tube, and for two weeks the post office lost tracking on it. Finally, after I made an official complaint, they located it and it got to my daughter. For a short time, I was very anxious. I am so relieved it finally got there.

The base layer

Starting with a bit more detail

Adding the rose

The finished drawing of “Madeline & the Rose”

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