It’s true, in a world filled with chaos, nice things still happen. Yesterday that nice thing was meeting my niece, Winnie. Darcy and I had to wait the full two-week cycle from when Sydney returned home from the hospital before we could see the baby. The wait was borne out of an abundance of caution we would have never otherwise had to practice.
Meeting my younger sister’s daughter was truly magical. Darcy cried, and I’ll be honest, I teared up too. Meeting baby Winnie was amazing but getting to see my sister transform overnight into a wonderful and loving mother was truly one of the best moments of my life.
Near when we first started dating, Darcy asked me what the proudest moment of my life was. I answered, “Sydney’s college graduation!” Of course, it was a moment filled with pride. Sydney and I happened to go to the same preschool, elementary school, high school and college. So, when Sydney finished those years of her life, it was like a special bond we shared together came to an end. It was the finish line of a 19-year marathon.
That moment was supplanted by her wedding. Oh, what a party that was!
Getting to see Sydney walk down the aisle, and the big smiles on both my parents’ faces filled our family with so much love. It was like we were living in Sydney’s world and no one was stopping her.
But yesterday! Getting to see Sydney turn into a wonderful mom was truly special. It made me feel all kinds of things that I never thought I would be able to feel. Of course, the baby was handed to me and some jokes were shared about how I would be super awkward the first time I held Winnie (I’m the butt of every joke in the Esiason family), but instead it was delicate and precious. It was as if every single second in all our lives led to, and then culminated with, the beginning of a brand new chapter. A new chapter for my sister and her husband as mother and father, my parents as grandparents, and for Darcy and I as cool aunt and uncle.
The truth is, though, that this world has really gone to shit lately, but getting to meet Winnie served as a keen reminder that humanity still exists. It was a reminder that life thrives in crisis and that life will thrive once this is all over.
Yesterday will be a memory that will play over and over in my head for the rest of my life. It brought happiness to all of us, something we so desperately need now more than ever.
