There was now a new meaning in my life. For some reason, I looked at my granddaughter differently than I had looked at my children. I didn't love her more than I loved them. I guess I behaved differently when they were children, because I had to provide for them. I truly enjoyed every minute I spent with them. I never joined in when other mothers would comment on how they couldn't wait until their children were old enough to do this or that on their own. I loved them best at every age!
My granddaughter was someone that I only had to love. I didn't have to raise her. There weren't all the pressures like, what kind of job should I get, or what neighbourhood should I live in? Could I hold down a full-time job and still be a member of the PTA? No, this was different. When we were together, nothing else mattered.
I turned my picture-taking hobby into a full-time business. With help from my sister's overflow of customers, I was able to make a pretty good living. It was something I really enjoyed, and it turned out, I was good at it. Secretly, I think I may have been using it as an excuse to take lots of pictures of my granddaughter, and post them on the internet. She was the perfect model! Really! Just visit my website if you don't believe me!
That was another one of my hobbies, playing on the computer. To me, the internet is one of the greatest inventions of mankind! How else could a person run a business, pay their bills, keep in touch with friends and family, explore the world and order dinner, without ever changing out of their pajamas? Clearly, this was an invention that would become an absolute necessity in my life! Becoming proficient on the computer would come in handy for many reasons.
Unfortunately, the racing industry isn't known for its dedication and loyalty to its employees. Owners change teams, teams change drivers, drivers change sponsors, and well, you get the picture. Needless to say, we weren't through moving around.
The experience my husband gained from working on race teams, did make him worth more to people in the racing business in general. He was a fast learner and pretty smart; he was also nice to look at, which doesn't hurt. He found a position with a company that fabricated race-car chassis and was, more or less, put in charge. There wasn't a very large staff, so he did most of the labour, as well as run the office. He obviously needed a little help. That is where my computer skills came in.
I was allowed to come in and help manage the front office. I updated the computer files and designed a web site. That didn't take up all of my time. Not ever being one to get something I didn't deserve, I gladly jumped in and helped with the tasks in the shop. It was the least I could do.
After a while, my husband started missing the actual act of jumping over the wall, during a race, so, we moved again. With teams changing the way that they do, there was bound to be yet another move soon to follow. There was. I really didn't mind. No matter where we went, I always managed to visit my granddaughter!
Even with all of the joy I received, each time I looked into my granddaughter's ice-blue eyes, I still heard voices. They seemed muffled now, but they were there. I caught myself drifting off, from time to time, thinking about how fast everything had gone by . . . vaguely remembering something about a mission I once had. I thought about how, long ago, I thought "thirty" was light years away.
Once again, the phone rang, and I knew who it was, and what she was going to say. My greatest joy was about to be multiplied! For one person to receive such great joy twice was just too good to be true!
“You think so?” a muffled voice whispered to me, “Try three times . . . she's having twins.”
This time, when the time came, it happened so fast I was still en route from North Carolina to Georgia. I was looking out of the car window, crying, because I was going to miss everything. My cell phone was clutched tightly in my hand and I was wondering why my son-in-law wasn’t on the other end, giving me a play-by-play. No matter how fast we went, it seemed someone else needed to go faster. Why was that?
That drive along the highway made me stop and think. Why was I trying to go so fast? My voices told me to be still. Life for the twins was just beginning. They would be there when I got there, waiting for me.
What about all of those other people on the road? Where were they going? What were they looking for? What did they see when they looked out? What was waiting for them . . . on the other side . . . the other side of their . . .
. . . windows?