HOPE AND A GIRAFFE NAMED HOMER

 HOPE AND A GIRAFFE NAMED HOMER
 
We were having dinner with our granddaughter. 
In an effort to make chit chat with a
2-year-old my husband was talking to her about animals and then he said,
      “I have a pet giraffe.”

Her little eyes watched him intently as she listened to his animal stories.  When he made that statement she thought for a second and said,
      “Liar!”

The fact that a 2-year-old called him on his outrageous story made us laugh.  It spurred him to describe his giraffe, how he lived out in the country, what he ate and oh, his name is Homer.

That was the beginning.

It has now been over 8 years of close encounters with Homer.  The grandkids seem to arrive at our home just after Homer leaves.  When he was lost they stood on our front porch calling,
     “HOOOOMER, WHERE ARE YOU?”

Homer has gone on vacations to California when our weather was too cold and visited his family in various parts of the world.  Grandpa knows that every Homer story creates smiles and the look of wonder on little faces.

Homer sends Christmas cards and gifts of cookies, stuffed giraffes, books about giraffes and the ever popular 3-D giraffe t-shirts. A replica of Homer sits in our sunroom. 

Over the years, all of the 9, (yes NINE) grandchildren have secretly come to me asking if Homer is real….if grandpa is crazy… and if they will ever see Homer in person. My answer to all of these questions is,      
        “Maybe.”

In the meantime they are delighted with the gifts he sends, the giraffe adventures that grandpa shares and the Hope that someday… maybe someday, they will meet the magical creature named Homer.

Yes, we love giraffes! So waiting patiently for April, the giraffe at the Animal Adventure Park in New York to have her baby has been exciting!  I woke up to find that I was just in time to see this gift to our Universe arrive.  I was struck by the synchronicity of timing.  How appropriate for this event to occur on Easter weekend!

As I watched the wonder of the magic of birth on this beautiful Spring morning I am reminded of Hope. 

Hope for what is yet to come.  

Hope for the renewal that Spring brings to us through glorious showers of rain and the budding of nature.

Hope that we will live in a world filled with forgiveness, kindness and love.

Hope that we will always experience wonder through the smiles and hearts of our children.

Hope for new life and the joy of knowing we can always begin again. 

Happy day of birth to this new giraffe baby. 
Now the question is…. Will it be named Homer… or maybe the appropriate name is Hope! 
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
​“Hope is found in the faces of children, glorious showers of rain, the budding of nature and in the joy of knowing we can always begin again.” 

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CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE BIRTH OF APRIL'S BABY I SHARED ON FACEBOOK

YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think about what Hope means to you! 
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .
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                    Thank you!  
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