he and you and you and he

dear isaac,

i came across this photo of my dad today, and i instantly thought of its similarity to this recently-taken picutre of you i've placed next to it. that quizzical look. the puffed out arms. even your mittens are covered in that same sticky, great-for-packing-a-snowball snow like his were.

i'm thinkin', now all you need is a fluffy white scarf like his! as you can see, he was one stylish dude!

you may not see it here {because i don't really either}, but you often look so much like your grandfather... my dad. sometimes i am sad that you will not grow up knowing him, never having met him face to face. but i take comfort in knowing that he is your grandfather whether you were able to meet him or not. a smile forms on my face when i remember that this fact remains... even though he never got to lay his eyes on you, you're still his grandson.

if you grow up even one tenth the person he was, i will be so proud. i've rarely met anyone who comes even close to the kind of person your grandfather was. your own father is one of the few. were you to be a blend of both their character and traits, you will be a truly beloved and respected man. as they did, you will love music more than anyone i have ever known or have read about in books. like them, you will treat people well. like them, you will have the most beautiful blue eyes i've ever looked into... you already do. and with those eyes, you will see the very best in others as my father did and your father still does. you will be decent, kind, giving, sacrificial and good. and you'll put others before yourself when it matters and when you should. you will put people before money. they have several other things in common that you'll likely end up sharing with them... political views, humor and wit, ability to make others laugh, ability to make others feel at ease. but it is their kindness that i hope will be what marks you.

that is my prayer for you.

if for some reason i never had the chance to impress upon you what a great person your grandpa ken was, then i hope this serves as that impression now as you read. let me tell you this now, too... just as any grandpa would, he'd have loved you like crazy.

since he and you are two thirds of my three favorite guys that ever walked the planet, i thought you should meet him and get to know him a little here... side by side.

love,

mama