I managed to let yesterday slip past and truly meant to post. It was a special Father’s Day since this is Dustin’s first as a dad. Yes, I know I promised not to do a lot of “Proud Grandma” moments and I won’t.

I called my dad who will be ninety-one in October and they’re doing fine all things considered. They moved into assisted living several months ago and he voluntarily gave up driving. For anyone who has been through that struggle, you know what a “gift” that was to us.

Hubby actually worked all day yesterday, but it is prime dive season and so that’s to be expected. Here’s a word about being a stepfather. It isn’t the easiest thing in the world to step into a situation when a child is older and Dustin did a nice post on Facebook acknowledging how well our family blended. In fact, it never occurred to people who saw them together that they weren’t biological father and son. And after spending seven years as a single parent I can also relate to the poster that says something along the lines of, “It taking something extra for a mom to be a dad, too”. The reverse is probably true for a single dad filling the role of mom and I can vouch for the fact that trying to raise an opposite sexed child alone brings a few extra challenges. Dustin loved both of his grandfathers, but we didn’t live near either of them and so it was periodic visits rather than frequent involvement. Thankfully, hubby came along before the issue of shaving ever came up not to mention other subjects that I was grateful not to have to deal with. Anyway, even though I’m a day late – here’s a big thanks to all those dads out there who have been a real part of their children’s lives.

There are trickier things than family dynamics, but if you look at the sheer impact of families, that pretty much shoots to the top of the list of what humans deal with. Setting aside the many permutations of friends and relatives’ relationships, the mother-daughter ones that I develop for my fiction are spread along a spectrum from what will be somewhat of a jaw-dropper in the upcoming Shades of Deception to the fairly idyllic affection shown in the “Small Town” quilting series. Police Detective Bev Henderson loves her mother and is frequently exasperated with her lack of understanding as to why her daughter wanted to be a police officer instead of having a “normal” job. They don’t have all that much in common as adults, but their exchanges are often humorous.

Chris Green, the main character in the spin-off series of Deadly Doubloons, etc., is older and wiser now than when she greatly stressed her parents with teenage rebellion and ultimately eloped with a totally unsuitable boy at age eighteen. I’ve never introduced the readers to her parents, although Chris occasionally reflects about having restored their relationship.

The tragic ones depicted in False Front and Georgina’s Grief spoke to the heart-breaking reality that exists for too many children when the destructive behavior of their mothers (and can be fathers as well) forces the child to assume an adult role or causes so much emotional damage that the baggage they carry into adulthood is difficult to rid themselves of.

Like other aspects of creating characters, this particular relationship can be pivotal in developing a fictional person that readers can relate to, can see in their minds, or as one fan says, “Your books are written so that it’s like watching a movie”. For most writers, our goal is to make the characters either seem genuine or be so much fun that you don’t mind the exaggeration.

And so, for those who do have that wonderful kind of affection between mothers and daughters, that’s great. For those whose life experiences have taken a different turn, remember that you are your own person and one of value.

I promise that I am not going to do “Proud Grandma” moments as routine posts. This, however, is one of those moments since the arrival of Amelia Margaret did come with an element of humor. The actual due date was March 25, yet everyone who had been through this knows that due dates are not always the most accurate predictions. Notwithstanding those who schedule a delivery, the “on or about” is the best you can do and lots of first babies tend to be a week or two beyond that. Not surprisingly, this week was supposed to be prep for the kids getting all those last tasks taken care of and son had a premiere piece in which he was to be performing on Saturday night, the 14th. Hubby and I both had dual obligations on the 14th that meant we had to be out of the house by 7:00 a.m.; me not to return until after the evening event and hubby to only dash by the house to change clothes and join me for the evening event.

So, as we prepared for the Friday afternoon/evening obligation that we had, we were startled to receive the telephone call that the kids were on the way to meet the doctor at the hospital. Ah, not a serious complication, but moved the timetable up. I kept the cell phone close by and around 9:30 I texted to just say give a call no matter the time. The call came at almost 11:00 p.m., the actual birth at 10:14 p.m. on yes, Friday the 13th. And there goes the preparation, not to mention the not quite able to juggle other schedules and thus Saturday was a bit of a scramble with trying to communicate. At any rate, things did work out, everyone is fine, and Amelia apparently wasn’t the slightest bit concerned with the stir she caused.

Amelia Margaret’s Early Arrival