carbonated joy

I have a confession to make. I feel like such a baby for saying this…
The last few weeks I’ve had baby arms (not to be confused with baby neck, that’s totally different).
I don’t know if you realize this, I’ve been pretty quiet about it, but Diana and me are new grandparents. It’s true! We are seriously loving it! But, now I have baby arms.
Our granddaughter spends at least one night with us a week. She has slept all night in my arms more than once, and then, during the day I hold her…constantly.
Don’t judge me or tell me that I’m spoiling the child. I’m a first time grandpa who happens to think that spoiled is something that happens to cottage cheese, not sweet little granddaughters.
Anyway, I hold her a lot!
She is just a little 13 pound love nugget, but I’m not used to constantly cradling such preciousness.
And, my arms hurt real bad.
I’m not used to it, so it has stretched me and left me sore.
Now I feel like a T-Rex with limited motor skills.
I’ve consumed Advil and slathered myself in Bengay.
And, my arms still hurt real bad.
Sometimes love hurts.
I’m okay with that, it’s worth it!!
When we find new ways to love, it stretches us.
I talked to a buddy of mine who has a background in sports medicine (because baby holding should be a semi-competitive sport, right?) He told me that I need to stretch. WHHAA? Wait a minute…stretching is what hurt me in the first place. Right?!! It turns out that if stretching messes you up, then you can help the healing by stretching some more…crazy, huh?
It turns out that anytime you do something you haven’t done in a while, it can hurt. The answer is not stopping, it’s stretching!!
When we find new ways to love, it stretches us.
It’s worth it!!
Pain will become poetry, but first it’s going to hurt.
Keep stretching!!