A Conservative Viewpoint - A Letter To My Granddaughter

Article by Bob Steinburg
- Edenton, North Carolina: Cradle of the Colony



If there is one thing that most of us can agree on, it’s how much we dread the telephone ringing in the middle of the night. It is seldom good news. A loved may have been rushed to the hospital. Perhaps it was an accident where a friend or family member had been injured. And then again if the voice you hear is that of a law enforcement official, your worst nightmare may be beginning.

Recently we experienced one of those early morning calls. We had been expecting this one for days. I picked up the phone and heard the familiar voice of our youngest son Greg. “It’s show time Dad! Michelle and I are at the hospital in Cedar Rapids,” he said. “Your new granddaughter will be arriving any time now. I thought you and Mom would want to know.”

I had asked Greg to call me whatever the hour. My wife Marie and I had been sitting on pins and needles for the previous three days.

Amidst the darkness of our bedroom, Marie and I held one another and shared tears of joy as we silently anticipated an event that would once more transform our lives. From courtship and marriage thru that moment, our 40 years together were about to bring us full circle. A loving God would once again allow us to play a vital part in shaping the life of a child dear to us.

While our role as grandparents will differ from our role as parents, our overall desire to nurture will remain the same. Just as we tried to guide ourselves and our sons through the many trials and travails of life that challenge a family, so too will we humbly, gratefully and lovingly accept our new assignment. We taught our sons that without the strength and the living presence of the Almighty God in their lives, the path of life is difficult, if not impossible, to traverse successfully.

As I lay in bed, unable to fall back to sleep, I decided I’d get up from bed to pen a letter to a granddaughter I’d yet to meet. In fact, I didn’t even know her name. But then again, she hadn’t met her new Papa either.

What follows are the words I wrote in those early morning hours, alone in my solitude with pen in hand and more love in my heart than any mortal deserves.

Dearest Granddaughter,

How strange it seems to utter those words. You are our very first grandchild you know, and for that reason you will be forever special.

I just spoke with your Dad, who incidentally happens to be my little boy, and he told me that he and your Mom are anxiously awaiting your imminent arrival. Your new grandparents are too. In fact, we will be joining you at your home in Iowa in just a few days. We can’t wait to hold you in our arms while we look into your beautiful and trusting eyes and tell you much we love you.

When your Daddy was born (and his brother before him) I made this silent pledge to them while I held them in my arms for the very first time. It is also my pledge to you. I promise I will always be there for you, in life and in spirit, and will work diligently to see that you are afforded the best life can offer. I’ll do whatever I can to insure you will have the freedoms and opportunities that I and millions of other Americans have enjoyed for decades.

I don’t plan on giving you great wealth, but rather will fight to insure that you have the tools to earn it, should wealth be your desire.

I will help teach you about personal responsibility. I will reinforce those teachings of your parents as to what it means and why it is important. This is among the most essential lessons you will ever learn

The world is changing dear child, and so too is our nation. The technology that is available today will be old-fashioned before you enter pre-school. You will need to learn to adapt to change. But not all change is good. We’ll give you plenty of guidance, but you’ll need even more than your loved ones can provide.

There are three master works that one day you will be taught to embrace: The Holy Bible, the Declaration of Independence and the U. S. Constitution.

The Bible will provide you with the moral guidance and spiritual sustenance all Christians rely on. It will be your compass throughout life and will never fail you if you simply remain faithful.

The Declaration of Independence will educate you about the importance of emulating the convictions of our forefathers whose courage and strength helped establish the freest nation in all the word; a nation you too are now a part of.

And then there is the Constitution. Its all about governance based in God that shows how a free and willing people can come together for the common good. Individual freedoms were guaranteed in this treasured document - your freedoms and mine. We must be willing to sacrifice our lives to insure the integrity of this document prevails forever.

All this is pretty heady stuff for a little girl that hasn’t even been born yet. For now it can wait. It’s time to enjoy all of those things that make little girls so special and forever the apple of their Papa’s eyes.
I’ll love you always,
Papa

Julia Marie Steinburg was born a healthy baby at 2 PM on Friday January 29, 2010.