You Made My Life Complete

In April 2022, I became a grandmother; I chose the nickname “Babka” which pays homage to my Polish ancestors. I have one son and daughter-in-law (Devin and Erica) and I thought they decided not to have a child; fortunately, they proved me completely wrong! 

From the time I started proudly announcing the upcoming birth of my first grandchild, anyone who was already a grandmother said the same thing: that there was no feeling to compare when you become a grandparent. Since I basically raised Devin by myself, I already experienced the close bond you can develop with a child. I honestly couldn’t fathom how I could feel any closer to my grandchild than I did to my son when he was growing up. 

Then Camden was born; unfortunately, I wasn’t permitted in the hospital, so I waited to hold him for the first time after they were released and home. I actually waited an extra day, because I knew that Erica’s family would be there and I wanted my own time with him. 

Imagine my surprise, when Erica started to hand Camden to me, I was so overcome with emotion that I was speechless. I could only hold up my pointer finger to her, in a gesture to “wait a minute” while I composed myself. Could all of those people who told me to mentally prepare for this moment possibly be on to something?!? The answer is a resounding “YES!” 

Camden’s parents were fortunate to have “family time off” from their respective jobs, so they didn’t need full-time daycare until August. Luckily, I watch him two days a week, and Erica’s mother has him the other two days. Devin’s schedule permits him to have Camden every Friday to himself. That is another bonus of being Babka; the compassion I sense when I see my son interact with my grandson is priceless. 

My son has moved to the number two spot in my heart, and Camden has taken over number one. He is a happy, inquisitive, adorable, fun-loving baby who is an absolute joy to watch. Among all of our activities, I sing songs to him that I remember from my childhood. One of those is by Perry Como and The Fontane Sisters titled “A – You’re Adorable.” I don’t sing the intro, I start with the alphabet. One line of the lyrics goes “U made my life complete” and no truer words were ever spoken. 

Another song I resurrected from my heritage is by Bobby Vinton (aka The Polish Prince) called “My Melody of Love.” I am amazed at how easily Camden is lulled to sleep while I sing in another language. It is heartwarming to know that I’m carrying on the Yez family traditions. 

Finally, since all my articles usually touch on an aspect of line dancing, I must admit that Camden gets very excited when I practice a new dance. I call out the steps to him while he sits in his walker, as if he completely understands what I am talking about. There is NO DOUBT that this little boy has made my life complete. 

Here’s a dance I recently taught that Camden really had to help me with: 

Dori Yez teaches Country Line Dancing at these Ohio SCOPE Centers: Howland on Monday evenings (Seasoned Beginners) and Wednesday evenings (Improver & Intermediate) plus the same level in Cortland on Friday afternoons. Due to room size and attendance, Dori can no longer accept new students in any of her classes.