Nothing quite compares to standing with a Grandbaby by your feet, or Grandtoddler since she is almost two, with her face staring up at you, arms stretched over her head and a look that says, "pick me up, pick me up." It is just an unwritten law that a Grandmother will stop almost anything and pick that little child up into her arms. A wave of love sweeps over me as I pick her up and I am reminded what a blessing it is to have Grandchildren!
Our little donkeys can create a wave of their own. While guarding the gate at the pasture, so the tractor could pass through without any donkeys tagging along behind it, I noticed the donkeys have a way of getting our love, too. It is somewhat like standing in the ocean, far enough into the water that the waves gently move you, yet shallow enough they don't knock you down. The donkeys come up behind us, gently bumping our legs, then looking up as if to say, "pet me, pet me, pet me." Ladybug is more like the big wave that suddenly appears from nowhere and can knock you right off of your feet if you are not standing firm! She was as tiny as a little bug when born, thus her name, and from the minute she could stand and walk, she migrated towards us, leaning into our legs for attention and love. How could we resist? During her first few months, it was almost impossible to walk by without petting her, creating a little demanding donkey who now thinks anyone in the pasture must be coming to shower her with love. We have tried to teach this little girl some manners, often stepping away so she must stand on her own without using us as a post! But, she is still hard to resist as she looks up, only asking for a pat or a rub and pressing through the other donkeys to be sure she gets close enough to get her share.
Grandbabies and donkeys can lift our moods and make us smile, even after a long day. They both create waves of love that sweep over us and cause us to reach out and offer a little of that love back.
