Granddaughter Keilah

When Keilah was a little tyke, her parents and grandparents (that's us, or is it "we"?) took the rapid transit (BART) and went into San Francisco to be tourists, and at the end of the fun day, we found a nice restaurant for dinner before returning on BART. Imagine our horror when Keilah managed to grab her mother's hot coffee at the end of the meal, knocking it over and, of course, burning herself in the process. As we rode BART back to our car, Keilah whimpered, and we all felt just terrible. Now that is one sad memory, but she got better quickly, had no scarring, and we all relearned to keep hot items far away from reaching babies. This was a good lesson, since Keilah now has four sisters and a brother.

One time while visiting us when she was little, Keilah began fussing, and her mom quickly sent her to her room, "Until you can be happy!" A few short minutes later, we all heard, "I'm happy now," said with a mildly sobbing voice. She was allowed to return and was then quite cheerful. She has grown to be a tall and slender, pretty young lady, who will probably break many a young man's heart in the next few years. She and her girlfriends giggle and whisper, ignore everyone else, and have a wonderful time.

Keilah wanted to learn how to make stained glass windows and was a quick learner, very precise in her efforts, enjoying the whole process. She didn't like the occasional glass cut but didn't complain. Once she got burned by the soldering iron, but again no complaining. She heals quickly. Best of all, she can solder like a pro. This is not easy to do. Some people have the touch and I wish I did. She even sold one of her windows when I was exhibiting at a show.

She takes piano at the Omaha Conservatory of Music and has become quite proficient. This has been due to her hard work and many hours of practice. However, she would prefer not to have to give concerts in front of other people. She does it though, and we all are proud of her efforts and results.

She is the typical older sister in a large family and very competent in dealing with brother and sisters. It is fun to see her mother the twins, the youngest ones. They adore their older sister.

As a grandad I have felt her at times to be my best buddy, and I particularly enjoyed her saving me a seat at church and sharing secret jokes about bad singers nearby. What a joy to watch and share in her growing up years!