Today my #3 granddaughter is 15. She is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Life hasn't been completely kind to her. Her father, an attractive, charming con artist, has spent years abandoning her, then turning on all his considerable charm to win her back, only to abandon her again as soon as she began to trust him again. She no longer falls for his scams. Her other grandparents have a time share on Oahu, and have taken her cousin there at least 20 times (even her cousin's friend), but they have never taken the Kritter. She no longer has any expectations from them.

Instead, Kritter realizes that there are a lot of other people who love her, and she concentrates her attention on them. She is easy-going, interested in other people's passions, well-behaved and polite. This means you can take her anywhere, and so everyone does. I took her to her first ballet before she was 3, and we've taken her to Disneyworld, the Indy 500, Aspen and Hawaii. (And yes, it was three islands, fancy hotels, uncrowded beaches -- we made sure to give her some experiences her cousin will probably never have. Nyah, nyah, take that!) Her stepfather made it a point to give her a Play Station to replace the one her father stole and hocked. His family showers her with gifts. A couple across the street considers her to be their other granddaughter. The Professor thinks she is the perfect child, and there's probably nothing he wouldn't do for her. And we all think we get much more from her than she gets from us.

When Kritter was 7 or 8, she had a flight from Houston to Seattle via Minneapolis. (Who schedules these things???) She missed a connection and had to spend several hours in the airport. Her mother and I were frantic and irate, but Kritter told us she had fun: she helped with the ticketing and got to see how things were done. She wouldn't have complained, anway, but to turn an experience that would have terrified most children into something fun.... well, maybe you see why everyone loves her.

There is a line from The Prophet, in the section "Children":

"You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you,

For life goes not backward, nor tarries upon itself."

I have introduced her to things I love, and her enjoyment has enriched my own. But her wonderful, accepting attitude and her ability to turn away from bitterness and toward the good things are her own doing. I am humbled by her goodness, and so incredibly proud of her.