You Can Tell The World - Simon and Garfunkel

3/3/2020

Seven years ago today, John asked me out on our first date and tonight, we told his parents that they're going to be grandparents again. 

I’m not a big believer in fate or destiny, but I do love the timing of that.

We told his parents by recreating a little bit of family lore.

John's mom found out about her first grandchild when their bulldog puppy Sadie was rooting around in the bathroom trash and pulled out a positive pregnancy test. 

We switched things up a little with a stuffed bulldog toy and a clean and un-peed-on pregnancy test. 

Telling your parents that they're going to be grandparents is a big deal.

I'm almost certain that the only reason Mom had kids was so that she could have grandkids and I have asked Mom to, "give the white lady back her baby," more times than anyone really should. 

I told my parents a few days ago. 

I got Mom a necklace with the Hindi word for maternal grandmother - "Nani" and true to form, Paps thought it was because I refer to her as "Nanima" with the dogs. 

In his defense, this does sound like something I would do.

But I think they cottoned on pretty quickly when I showed them the ultrasound. 

Hey kiddo - it's Mom.

There's a whole bunch of people who know about you now and they are so excited to meet you!

Your Sarika Masi has already started planning your baby shower and is sending me ideas for your nursery.

You are going to love her so much.

We're thinking about a whole cloud and travel motif. This world is big and beautiful, Little Bird and we cannot wait to see it with you.

I'm already planning adventures for us - Christmas in Rothenberg Ob de Tauber, tapas on the beach in Cadiz, white water rafting on the Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park and ghost tours, jazz music and beignets in New Orleans, soft pretzels, whoopie pies at Reading Terminal and the Please Touch museum in Philly with Aunt Margie, Aunt Sarah, Titi Dana and Margot.

I want you to understand how wide and vast this world is, how breathtaking and diverse it is and how you have a responsibility to take care of it. 

At some point in your life, you're going to read Hemingway and if you're anything like me - which I hope you are - it'll break your heart just a little bit. 

That's OK.

Good writing is supposed to break your heart a little. 

If you take away one thing from Hemingway, let it be these words from For Whom The Bell Tolls:

“The world is a fine place, and worth fighting for.”

(Sidebar: If you’re gonna take a second thing away from Big Papa, let it be that gin makes you feel civilized. And if you’re taking anything away from Mommy, let it be that we don’t drink bottom-shelf bullshit in this house. People aren’t toiling away in the craft gin movement for you to drink Seagrams)

Sometimes, it's gonna be really hard to believe that this world is a fine place because there is so much that highlights how it is, in fact, not but I assure you that it is.

You've just gotta find that beauty and goodness and when you do, Little Bird? Fight for it. 

See you soon.

We love you xx