March 11, 2009
Baby Love
March 8, 4:46 AM: Text message from my son. His fiance is in labor. The baby is on the way. My first biological grandchild is on the way.
March 8, 5:45 - 11:15 AM: I am waiting for my granddaughter in the hard, Ikea-reject chairs the hospital provides while working on a speech I am to deliver the following day in Elon, NC. And I am keeping an eye on the clock because pretty soon I'm going to have to leave for the airport and if she doesn't get a move on, I'm going to miss her.
March 8, 3:55 PM: Lena Camille Pitts makes her world premiere. Her paternal grandfather is at 30,000 feet.
March 8, 6:30 PM: The sponsors of the speech take me to dinner. One fellow, knowing that something blessed has happened and I have missed it, says they're glad to have me there, but he knows I wish I was home. "I cannot tell a lie," I say. Everybody laughs.
March 9, 11:00AM - 8:30PM - I attend lectures, participate in a panel, go to dinner, give a speech at Elon University.
March 10, 1:45 PM - I am at the airport, happy and at peace with the world, because in just an hour, I'm going to board a plane and head home for an introduction to my granddaughter.
March 10, 2:45 PM - I am not on a plane heading home for an introduction to my granddaughter. I am sitting in the lobby waiting out a flight delay. I am neither happy nor at peace with the world.
March 10, 3:30 PM - The 2:45 flight takes off
March 10, 5:00 PM - I have missed my connection says the lady at the podium. The next flight home is not until 8:40. For the next three and a half hours, I am stuck at the airport. The NEWARK airport.
March 10, 8:40 PM - The 8:40 flight is delayed until 9:14. My granddaughter is getting older by the minute.
March 10, 8:40 PM - The 9:14 delay is extended until 9:30
...as the Temptations sing "My Girl" in the background.
Life is good.
Posted by Leonard Pitts on March 11, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Comments
what a beautiful girl!
Posted by: judi | Mar 11, 2009 1:12:46 PM
Congrats...God Bless her..
Posted by: Jorge | Mar 11, 2009 2:27:23 PM
AWWWWWWW!!!!!
Try not to wear down those chubby cheeks with all your kisses!
Posted by: Cheri | Mar 11, 2009 6:44:16 PM
What a gorgeous little baby girl! Congratulations and God Bless.
Posted by: Susy | Mar 11, 2009 7:09:20 PM
That's a beautiful baby - and a terrific blog to go with it! :)
Posted by: Wizzy | Mar 12, 2009 7:51:10 AM
Mazel tov, Leonard. May her life be filled with joy. She's got the best grandfather in the world.
Shelley
Posted by: Shelley | Mar 25, 2009 4:20:42 PM
Mazel tov, Mr. Pitts! Lena Camille, you are a beautiful and loved little girl. May your life be filled with joy.
Posted by: Tzipora | Apr 2, 2009 11:11:58 AM
Wow. In 9 months time, no time for a marriage?
Who paid for the baby's birth expenses -- is that what delayed your son's stepping up to the plat
Congrats on joining the growing legions of babies born out of wedlock, pretty little baby. Hopefully you'll be blessed with an intact family and true security one day.
Posted by: anonymous | Apr 2, 2009 6:33:51 PM
Mr. Pitts,
I am a 68 year old white female. I have to say that I agree with and find refreshing the good common sense you write in your columns. I wish you good luck and look forward to your future writings.
Posted by: Mary | Apr 24, 2009 4:21:19 PM
I've enjoyed your columns for years & I'm very
glad to see that you're a proud & happy grandpa
too!
Today's column about Christian indifference to
obvious crime(s) is again a well reasoned &
thoughtful appraisal by you. As a former army
officer & viet vet I'm appalled by the ongoing
arguement over torture. There shouldn't be any debate; torture or 'enhanced interrogation
techniques' are recognized as ceimes by the
international community & cited as such by Geneva Accord.
Keep up the good fight!
Posted by: Mike Eagle | May 13, 2009 9:20:32 AM
