Schep, scuffle, the patter of no longer very little feet but Jacob's nonetheless.
"Hmmm, is it safe to say 'GOOD' morning, dear grandson?"
"Yeah I guess," mumbled Jacob. "I need more than peanut butter because I gotta problem."

Placing bread in the toaster and reaching for Jacob's favorite strawberry jam,
Grandma says, "Maybe if you shared the problem, we could work on it."

"Dunno. It's bad. And guys aren't supposed to be scared or tell secrets."
"Interesting! I didn't know that ... gosh!"
"Huh? Grandma you're supposed to know everything! May I have some eggs, too?"

Grandma removed four eggs from the carton. "Guess I'd better scramble them
since my brain doesn't seem to be working. That's a joke, Jacob."
"Ho, ho."

"Is Matt still asleep? Here, stir these for me."
"Yeah, he's bummed out. Darn. I'm not supposed to say anything.
How do you make me do that!", Jacob busily scrambling.
"I get scared sometimes and I'm this old lady who knows it all.
Sometimes I've told secrets, too, but hopefully it was to help someone.
So you gonna fess up or do I break an egg on your head?"
"You wouldn't!!!!!!", exclaimed Jacob starting to back away.
"Would, too!" She chased Jacob around the table
and he had to giggle trying to balance the bowl.

Matt, wide-eyed and tugging at his hair, appeared.
"Grandma, what are you doing to Jacob?", he cried.
"Attacking him and you are next!"
Matt ducked under the table.
"Oh, you may come out ... I'm just kidding. It's not like I'm gonna bomb you guys
with the wonderful eggs those hens made ready for us ....
silly gooses. Hmmm, fowl mood you've put me in now!"
"She said bomb, Jacob."
"Yeah."



"All right you guys. I get it. It's all the wars and destruction and who would not be scared?
Why, it's just terrible. And Matt you must be thinking about your daddy having been killed in Iraq.
And worried about maybe your adopted dad Marine Mike will be called up.
Well, we'd better talk about all this and did I miss anything?"

"See, Matt. I told you we can't keep secrets from her!"
Matt ran to Grandma. "And ... and ... mommy's gonna have a baby
and what would my real daddy think?"
as tears started down that lovable little face.
"Whew! Now how do you know you're going to have a brother or sister
and heavenly hash, how come I didn't!, exclaimed Grandma.
"I heard Mommy and Marine Mike talking ... I didn't mean to listen .... honest!
Mommy said we'll wait until it's a little more secure in there. Where's 'there', Grandma?"

"Jacob, you'd better get the rest of the eggs ... we need an omelette to get all this squared away ...
or maybe I'll just go back to bed and hide under the covers!"
"No way, Grandma!" they chimed together. "May we have ham in the omelette, too?"
"We'll need all the protein we can get today, fellows. OK, what's inside those eggs?"
"Yolks!"
"Correct. Now from where did those eggs come?"
"Yuk, the hen's tummy?????", ventured Jacob.
"You got it. Now mommies are like hens and they have eggs in them
and sometimes an egg becomes a baby chick boy
or girl and she has to keep them safe and warm in her tummy until it's time to be born.
And that's all you need to know for now. Shush. I mean that! Now as for Matt's daddy in heaven,
well I'd think he's probably thinking oh how nice that his Matt will have not only Jacob
as a brother - kinda 'dopted - of course, but another friend to always be around
and to help mommy, too." Matt was dabbing a tissue to his nose.
"But ... I mean, wouldn't daddy be ... oh, what's the word!"
"Jealous", said Jacob.



Grandma gathered both boys to her. "Now listen very carefully.
You both know how much I love you, right?"
Nods.
"You know how much I love my daughter and and Jacob's daddy and how much
I love your mommy Joyce and Marine Mike, right?"
Nods.
"Well I also love God and my neighbor that you guys help
and Mr. Grumpyman at the nursing home,
and, and, and the list just goes on because love is sooooooo big
that it can cover a whole bunch of people and in all kinds of different ways.
And things, too. Mmmm, like pancakes and ....."
"Pancakes!", they hollered.
"Don't press your luck!
Oh, all right I love you enough ... now do you two get the message?"
"Yes, ma'am!", together again came the response.
Always sure of that when pancakes were at issue.



"What about the wars and missiles and bombs
and why do people fight all the time and kill each other?", asked Jacob.
"Well," said Grandma, "that's not too easy to explain
but you can start with being stupid and greedy.
Tell you what ... go get a baseball bat and a broom."
Off they scurried to the garage.
"OK, now you are both armed. Now pretend you are grunting cavemen
way back when in the cave and you have only one big bone from that wooly mammouth
you killed and you're hungry. Play it out for me."
Jacob raised the bat. "Me want bone. Me hungry."
Matt raised the broom. "My bone. You no have!"
"I'm gonna hit your head. Take bone!", yelled Jacob.
"I gonna hit you first. My bone!"



"STOP! Game over!", hollered Grandma.
"Now while you two were being stupid when you could have shared the bone
and made soup together, a mangy dog came in and took it away
but you were busy fighting. So now you'll both be hungry
when all you had to do was share and be nice to each other
even though you always don't agree on everything.
That's how wars begin and some never end. Being hateful does not solve anything.
We all have to tolerate ... that means accept ...
things about others we might not understand or like.
But, as I said, people can be pretty dumb and once the fighting starts,
they usually use bad things to try to stop it but no one ever really wins."

"So you mean the bombs won't stop?", asked Jacob.
"Honey, there are bad people who do bad things. I wish it were not that way,
so I have to be honest with you and say probably not.
But that doesn't mean we can't do good stuff each day
and pray others will follow our example. And just keep loving each other."



"Grandma?"
"Yes, Jacob?"
"Could we eat now?"
"No."
"NO?????????", they cried in protest.
"First put the eggs back in the fridge. Now grab a piece of toast to tide you over.
Matt, give me that broom. We're flying to the diner for pancakes."
"Grandma", said Jacob. "Now that's funny!"

And the screen door slammed shut behind them as did their worries ...
at least until after all the syrup had been slurped.
Who knows how many trips to the diner would be needed to explain
how Matt's baby brother or sister would arrive
but you know how Grandma is. She'll think up something!
After all, grandmas were specially designed with peace in mind.

Love to all,
© Connie Good
July 17, 2006

Dedicated to all who take the time
to love and talk to children.
How blessed I was!

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