Steppin' Out With My Baby

Peter and I decided to try to schedule some one-on-one time with each of the kids. When there are 3 kids and 2 working parents, life gets hectic sometimes and spending quality time with our ever-growing daughters becomes more and more difficult. When my dad started plotting a trip to Buffalo, NY, to see Navy ships similar to the one my grandfather served on in WWII, we figured this was a weekend trip we could take one daughter on. There would be time in the car to really connect, to listen to her. Initially, Peter planned to go, to take Rebecca, but his work schedule interfered, so I signed up to take his place. Dad and Rebecca and I stopped in Pittsburgh for a Pirates game versus our beloved Red Sox (the crowd was about 50-50 for each team!), then drove on to Buffalo to tour the ships.

We met up with various DC-area Walshes, my cousins and their children, and my Uncle Bailey, for a whirlwind summer adventure. Dad had transcribed and copied some of the many letters my Papa had written to his wife and children while he was on board. A banker by training, older than many other drafted soldiers, and a gentle man by nature, Papa's beautiful letters illustrate his mixed emotions about proudly serving his country while pining for his family back in Tennessee. It was wonderful to walk on a ship just like his, to imagine this man penning words of love and duty day in and day out. Rebecca seemed to really relish this experience, showing genuine interest in the parts of the ship and drinking in the one-on-one attention, walking hand-in-hand with Papa and talking more than usual with no other siblings to steal her thunder.





After our day in Buffalo, we drove up to Niagara Falls. I don't even need to describe this place in words, just look at the pictures.





Rounding out our weekend, Rebecca and I made the trip home alone. We drove for several hours, listening to music, talking about school and friends, the past and the future. Reading Papa's letters prompted Rebecca to ask about war, about love, and about my own childhood memories, especially those of Papa himself. She fell asleep about 2 hours from home, and in the silence, I thanked God for the opportunity to be TRULY WITH my daughter, to teach her and to learn from her. Good stuff.