Baby Thought

When I was at a book convention last week I stood in a number of lines for autographed children’s books. Figured I would pick up as many  stories as I could for baby Patrick, due any day now. 

One is a brightly illustrated book about getting oneself to Noah’s Ark from a cute snail’s point of view.  The author wrote, “Follow your dreams Patrick,” on the title page.  The next tale raises a question about where God Lives. This author personalized the book by writing “God Bless Patrick.” The last book, Sometimes I’m Afraid, offers kiddie advice along with delightful illustrations  meant to calm a child’s fears about childhood worries, like the dark. She wrote, “Patrick Love” – the way someone not so Irish might enscribe, “Patrick My Boy.”

I mentioned that I would be a grandmother very soon to all three writers as they autographed their books. The last, Annie FitzGerald, who -- unlike the others -- looked rather grandmotherly herself, whipped out a sketch pad and said, “Now let’s see what Patrick thinks about that."

In seconds she produced a sketch that allayed any concern anyone might have about Patrick’s feelings during his first encounter with darkness, in his mother’s womb.