#249: 200 Kisses

"I have 200 grandchildren!"

I am having a nice conversation with a cheerful, elderly woman and she is telling me about her family.

Two hundred? My goodness!  I am stunned and tell her so, but I am thinking is this even possible?

She explains that her six children have all had large families, and of course, there are many great grandchildren, and great, great grandchildren.   Best of all, many of them live nearby and they visit her frequently.  She smiles again. "I am never lonely. I have a lot of company!"

Still amazed, I mentally do the math (6 x 6 x 6....).   If I had wanted to plant kisses on 200 downy heads, I needed a different game plan about 45 years ago.

My two daughters are already over 30 and I can pretty much guarantee that between them, they will never produce even six children.  Maybe one or two if I am lucky, but I’m not counting on it. 

Besides, wouldn’t it be a burden remembering 200 names?  And imagine the worry.  There is lot of scope for screwing up in such a large group.  I would be a nervous wreck! The tsunami of cards, letters, phone calls and visits on Mother’s Day would not make up for 364 days of stress.

But I congratulate this super-grandma.  I’m delighted that she is 200 x happy.

Today is Mother's Day, and I am happy, too.  My little family is just fine.