Shawn Lucas

He’s here! 8 pounds-14 ounces and he’s 21 inches long! Hurry up guys, I want you to meet my son! Those were the words of my oldest son as he burst through the door of the waiting room at Stormont-Vail last Monday afternoon.
I’m not sure if there’s a better time in a man’s life than the moment one of your own kids hand you their own new born child for the first time. No, life doesn’t get much better than that. If you’re already a grandpa, you know what I’m talking about. If not, be patient, it’ll be your turn sooner than you think.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve always loved being a dad. But man, there’s so much work involved. It starts as soon as the kids are born. First, you have to be there for that. Then there’s the stinking, diaper thing. God, I used to hate that. There’s the sleepless nights and as I’ve found out, those nights can last well into their teenage years. Being a dad, you’re expected to be the bad guy sometimes. I was never good at that part but I did try. And yes, I made plenty of mistakes.
Being a grandpa is so much easier. Take the delivery room thing. Been there done that. And I don’t ever have to do it again. Yeah, sitting in the waiting room for someone to come get you is way better. By the time you see the baby, he’s been cleaned up and they have him all wrapped up in his blanket. Yeah, the dirty diaper thing has already started. But it’s not my problem. And as for having to be the bad guy. That’s not my job anymore. I see my roll as the spoiler. I pretty much let them do whatever they want and send them home to let their parents figure it out. Maybe, deep down it’s my way of paying my kids back for some of the crap they pulled when they were younger. Just kidding.
My son and his wife named their little boy Shawn Lucas. My son’s name is Lucas and my middle name is Shawn. Yeah, they named him after the old man. Life doesn’t get much better than that.
Shawn and I have had a couple of pretty good talks. I can already tell he’s going to be a good football buddy. You should have seen his eyes light up when I told him the Chiefs were playing Denver at home this weekend. I’ve already told him not to worry if his parents won’t let him have that candy bar he wants. He can come over to grandpa’s and have all the candy he wants. Oh yeah, that new toy he wants and his dad said no. I’ve got that covered too. Yeah, this is going to be fun. I think he’s excited about going to Lone Duck Campground Colorado in August. He’ll be 9 months old by then. I wonder if that’s to young for him to learn how to light the camp fire. Just kidding.
I’m not sure what I’ve ever done to deserve the blessings I’ve been given. And you’d think having a grandson in November is as good as it gets. But there’s more. My daughter and her husband are expecting their second child and she’s due in about 3 weeks. Two new grandkids in one month! How cool is that?
So Shawn, enjoy being the baby of the family while you can. I’d like to be able to tell you if your new cousin is going to be a boy or a girl but your aunt Misty decided she wanted to be surprised. I’ve explained to her that I’m not a big fan of surprises. She explained to me that that’s too bad. Yeah, being a grandpa is alot easier.
Kevin McGinty can be reached at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net