AN ENCORE!
My wife and I go to the fair for three things: #3 – to look at the exhibits; #2 – to eat a sausage dog; #1 – to eat a funnel cake. (Sausage dogs and funnel cakes just don’t taste as good anywhere else.)

The preceding is true – until this year. This year, for the first time, we took our grandson, Thomas. He will be 2 in just a few days. All of a sudden all of the lights were brighter, and the cows bigger, and the circus more fun: just watching the pure joy on his face as we looked at the pigs, or bunny rabbits, or horses.

He had gone a few days before with his parents, and we knew he loved the circus. We took him back. He had told us about the clown and the car that went “boom.” He would lay his head to the side, like the clown that was blown off the car, but then he would put up his little hands and say, “Okay.” This, of course, meant that the clown was Okay despite the boom. He couldn’t wait to see the car again. The first time he went, however, it was so hot that they did not stay to see the elephants. This time we did, and he was so amazed as the “funts” came out and we could almost touch them. He told me several times “big funt.”

After the circus we went and got our funnel cakes, and he dug in and ate a large chunk of one. We found a seat right near the shark exhibit. Thomas and I finished before MawMaw, so we walked over to see the live sharks. We were looking intently at them, when he realized that MawMaw was not with us. He looked over where she sat, and said, “’Mon MawMaw, mon.” He just thought it was awful that she was missing out on such an exciting moment. Next year, when he is almost three, I hope that his mom and dad will let us watch him as he begins to ride the rides for the first time.

Through it all, it made me think of the joy of watching a little one’s pure pleasure at the simplest things. It made me remember what made the fair truly fun, not what we did at the fair, but what our little ones did. Of course, our “little ones” are pushing 20, 27, and 30 as I write this. So, this was kind of like performing, and enjoying the performance, but then being called for an encore. Maybe that is part of what makes grandparenting so special – it is like the encore performance. It is less complicated than the original, but is just as enjoyable. Now I really look forward to the fair next year, and it means more than just the food (Hey, I didn’t say the food would be left out!).

I love the phone calls and hearing the little voice saying, “Hi, PawPaw.” I love to hear the excitement when he is expecting to see me and he does. It tickles me to hear him say, “PawPaw peach” when I am in the pulpit. He brings unadulterated pleasure into our hearts.

I never knew an encore could be so great!