Letter to a Granddaughter Turning 7
August 9, 2021
Ms. Lucy Horowitz
Merion Station, PA?
Dearest Lucy,
How can the little baby for whom I bought a size newborn organic cotton sleeper suit with a matching bear hat in Atlanta be turning seven today? Is it possible the two-year-old I watched racing through the play space at pre-school in Palo Alto will soon enter second grade at Merion Elementary on Philadelphia’s Main Line? You’ve been transformed into a dark-haired beauty who’s a dead ringer for her mom at that age.
You get really annoyed with me when I try to snap your photo with my iPhone, telling your mom “she embarrassed me.” When I asked if you would forgive me, you said: “Only if you promise never to do it again.” You tried to keep a straight face when you gave me the warning, but I could see your trademark smile breaking through.?
Your sweetness and your innocence came through when my birthday gift arrived a few days early. While most kids would rip the envelope open, you stopped to admire the stamp with the purple flower (I remembered you love purple).?
When Mama made the video to text me, you said: “Thank you for the birthday card, Bubbie. I love it.” In the background, I could hear her saying: “Thank her for the check,” and you did as she asked. The third prompt suggested you tell you me what you planned to do with the money. “I’m going to save it until I want something, and then I might put it together with other money I have.”
You are a little girl who cherishes the relationships she has with her gal pals. This summer you were thrilled to meet up at an amusement park in New Jersey with Marissa, a good friend from pre-school; she and her family were visiting from California. Depending on one’s vantage point, it was either irksome or hilariously funny that the two of you refused to pose for pics of this special reunion. Thankfully, her mom managed to sneak a photo of the two of you huddled together, reading a map of the park.
Nothing could made have you happier than spending a week going to gymnastics camp with your slightly older cousin, Emily, in nearby Delaware. The last time I saw the two of you together earlier this summer, the two of you had formed a conga line, weaving in and out of her living room and dining room. “They’re ready to go to Bar Mitzvahs,” her maternal grandma quipped, as she and I joined the conga line.
As it turns out, the two of you were to follow gymnastics camp with a week together at your house, attending a one-week session at a day camp on the Main Line. Alas, Covid scotched those plans.??I suspect you girls had a much better time at Camp Daphne – sleeping in each morning, and playing with silly string before breakfast.
Thank goodness your Mama is the creative type, prepared to set up an outdoor tie dying table at a moment’s notice. She baked butterscotch brownies, and taught you girls how to make rice crispy treats at home. She ferried you to a community swimming pool each day, where I was delighted to see a video of you dog paddling.
She took you to lunch at Shake Shack, and also took you to the self-serve frozen yogurt shop. “Bubbie hates frozen yogurt!” you announced gleefully as the two of you approached the shop. (Okay, so I’m not a big fan of frozen yogurt, and I hate self-serve anything, although Mama assured me the place requires that customers wear disposable gloves.)??
You even had a pre-birthday party with Emily because she’ll be at Disney World when you have your epic birthday bash featuring inflatables that squirt water. Mama baked a big chocolate chip cookie for that occasion.?
Happy 7th?Birthday, Lucy! I’m sorry I won’t be there for your actual birthday, but I look forward to spending a few days with you and your family at the Jersey Shore when Jack returns from sleep-away camp. I know you said: “I hope Jack doesn’t forget about me,” but I can assure you that’s not the case.
Love, Bubbie?Bonnie