Meeting My Nephew for the First Time - Visiting Family in Florida
VISITING FAMILY IN FLORIDA
Outside of Los Angeles, our next biggest work campus is in Melbourne, FL. Since I lived in Florida for the first 27 years of my life and all of my family still lives there, that means that whenever I attend a meeting there, I get the chance to also visit them. This past week I got the opportunity once again and it was extra special this time because my brother and his wife just had their second child, my first nephew, Forrest Randall Shaw.
THE LOVE OF A SISTER
Skylar, who you may have seen in past blogs, like Gatorland or Silver Springs, was one that first changed my status from just a normal guy to Uncle. Watching her grow up over the last four years has been pretty awesome - it is really incredible to witness how much she changes each time that I get to visit. She is enamored by her little brother and isn't shy about making it known as she often just randomly comes by and caresses his cheek or gives him a kiss on the forehead.
MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILY
My Mom always wanted a little girl but she ended up with three boys so Skylar was the first girl born into the family and has been a joy for her – probably even more so since she gets to just spoil her as the grandmother. Now that Forrest is here, she gets to do twice as much spoiling. Skylar also turned my “great” grandmother into a great-grandmother and her mother into a great-great-grandmother. I can only imagine that the love of grandparent multiplies with each “great” addition, getting to see those children that you raised, raise their own children. We lost my great-great-grandmother this past year, at the age of 91, so while she didn’t get the chance to meet Forrest, I know that she is watching over him.
