Grandfather’s Gift is the story of a man’s journey to find his way in life and to discover how to improve his family’s fortune. In this story, we find triumph winning over tragedy, wholeness over brokenness, and development over chaos. The story begins with a lonely man pondering how to move forward with his family life without a wife for himself and his three children. As he finds a place of solitude to meditate his dilemma, he wanders to the ocean shore. He watches the rhythmic, peaceful movement of waves touching the sandy beaches. The perfection of their interactions speaks symbolically to him of his personal life situation and his search for an answer. He sees he is missing an important element for his life fulfillmenthe needs a wife again. Was it destiny that, soon after realizing his need, a solution was provided? Was it chance that brought this man and a woman with the same desire together? Was someone above watching the acts of human drama with a desire to support their fulfillment? The author believes so and wishes to tell his grandchildren how this came to be. As the man and woman marry and join their efforts in a new life, they create a blended family. An all-too-common experience for many today. Old rules of family life are tested, some hold, some do not and are changed. In America today, one-half of our formal marriages fail, and only 25 percent of second attempts succeed. This means second attempts have twice the relationship complications first marriages face. Thus, beginning a blended family is a new creation of a different type of family unit. This is one man’s experience of his life in a blended family and what he discovered of lifelong values as he built a renewed life. The steps of development this man discovered can be listed as (1) new hope or vision renewed, (2) one day at a time or adjustments on each moment, (3) blended identities or five years to go, (4) building the house where the foundation is solid, or our blended family works like this!
