DUNCAN — Dear Grant, Today’s letter marks the 13th time I’ve written to you in the newspaper.

Twice, I penned letters about our anticipation of your birth, our preparation of your nursery and our expectations that you would enrich our lives. On other occasions, I’ve shared the joy of being your dad and the privilege of watching you grow, along with attempts to pull highlights and memories from the preceding 12 months.

One day soon, maybe we will read them all together, with the hope that in the privacy of our own home, you’ll feel the love attached with each attempt.

The past year has been one of transition for us all.

Your mom and you allowed me to selfishly uproot the routine of a comfortable life, deep friendships and familiar surroundings in Mississippi, moving halfway across the country to Duncan, enabling me to return to a city and people that (and whom) have always meant much to me.

I continue my gratefulness for that each and every day.

You helped us select our new home here, shared almost Christmas delight in unpacking box after box, quickly transformed the backyard into an athletic field for whatever sport is in season, extended the Darling tradition by following your (much) older brothers Scott and Chris to Plato Elementary and welcomed enthusiastically the newest member to our admittedly surprised family.

We call him Joey. He appeared as a malnourished pup almost on the very day of our arrival, stayed nearby for several days as we searched for an owner and has since taken over our household, filling it with energy, giggles and a love as unconditional as that of our less active but wonderful 11-year-old wire-haired Dachshund Oliver.

That he has been a blessing as your new “best friend” is a gift not taken for grant(ed) and the bond between you seems at time magical.

While the loss of your great Grandmamma White was a blow to us all, the wonderment of life moves on. You fill your role as Uncle Grant for niece Aniston with much ease and deep emotion. And you are a natural as a big cousin to Wyatt and Mason.

You love to travel and have yet to meet an airplane (hot cocoa, please), motel or hotel you didn’t like. But trips to your grandparents in Natchez remain unique, especially since you still think grand dad can do or fix anything.

We remain pleased you’re doing well as a Pirate, that you are blessed with another good teacher, that reading is still fun and that your fascination for numbers — sports statistics, in particular — continues as a distinct skill. That you’ve discovered iPhone games is somewhat less exciting.

It’s unlikely you’ll win the Heisman, but you love sports, whether it’s playing flag football, soccer or basketball with the guys, or perfecting living room games of your own creative invention. You’ve been hurt twice in your six months here, injuring a shoulder in a playground fall and turning an ankle on the basketball court, but neither has had lasting impact and neither did anything to dull your deepest commitment.

That’s as a University of Alabama football fan of course. Few, if any, are more loyal (Roll Tide; beat LSU!) or seek higher levels of perfection. Our hope, still, is that one day you’ll embrace the experience as only a game, but for right now, it’s much more important to you than that.

  We’ve noticed you have a knack for winning door prizes, and watching you set up an ice tea stand when you learned there was money to be made shared the hint of future entrepreneurial activities.

You still define gourmet eating as a cheeseburger and fries, topped by a cup of CherryBerry yogurt. Your favorite vacation spot remains the Air and Space Museum in D.C. While we didn’t make Bryant-Denny, you’ve been to baseball games at Oklahoma City and football games at Norman and we hope to see future competition at Cowboy stadiums in Dallas and Stillwater.

You’ve toured the state capitol, but likely favor the Lego store inside Penn Square. You are still shy with newcomers, pull for the NFL Saints, like “Mr. Arnold” a lot, still give the best handmade Christmas gifts, enjoy matching predictions with your brothers and await anxiously your first major snowfall.

You’re wise enough, too, to recognize another wonderful year is made possible by a devoted mom, who loves deeply and cares so genuinely that your everyday experience opens doors and exposes you to a wide variety of opportunities.

As with each previous letter, Grant, let me tell you again how proud of you I am.  You give far more than you take and your path to becoming a bright, caring, contributing young man seems on track. Our lives are better because of you and it is a joy to be infected by your contagiously upbeat spirit and quick smile.

Much love,

Dad



edarling@duncanbanner.com

580-255-5354, Ext. 130