Hotep,
For weeks I’ve been wrestling with the most suitable way to
say Happy Birthday to my now, 3-year-old granddaughter, Daleah. Better known to me as ‘Tear.’ Logical
thinking might suggest, ‘she’s only 3. How hard could it be to tell a 3 year
old child, Happy Birthday?’
Maybe that brand of thinking would hold some weight if the
youngest Mann in my tribe did not have such a deeply rooted connection to
everything I take pride in being. Her
tiny heart does so much more than control the pulse rate rhythmically flowing throughout
her precious little frame. My life means
so much more with you in it, Baby Girl.
By the time you read this, you should be well aware of my
lifelong fascination with nature and the way it continues to thrive within a
penitentiary setting. I couldn’t help
but to think of you as I watch three goslings stumble around the rec yard where
your G-Dad works out. The goslings know
no fear. They are very energetic and if
you stare at them for too long, you become selfish - wishing they could just
remain as babies forever.
When I look at your pics, I see the liveliness that dwells
within a great beginning. You have the
gene of an evergreen soul, Baby Girl; long life is in your future. At 3, you are something I have never seen, myself
in the face of a beautiful little girl. For this reason, I wish you could stay
as you are.
Maybe I’ve already missed your delightful response to
encountering geese for the very first time.
As I view their activity on the rec yard, I envision a G-Dad and his
‘Tear’ walking in the park and feeding the geese and goslings popcorn kernels. I can feel you squeeze my hand as you hold
out the other with a popcorn kernel resting in the center of your tiny palm.
Your eyes clench as you feel the slightest pinch of nature
feeding from the beautiful life that you possess. With a kiss on the cheek and the hug of a
lifetime, I welcome you into the life you’ve replenished. Thank you, Daleah.
Happy Birthday, Lil’ Mama!!
Loving You,
G-Dad
Copyright © 2015 by Leroy Elwood Mann
