I am a doting and gloating grandparent,
Having fourteen of those precious things.
They're worth far more, to this old man
Than silver, or gold, or diamond rings.
A couple are old enough to be parents,
IF they could find the right mate.
But some are so tiny and young
They haven't learned to appreciate.
But, whether older or whether younger,
My lot is to help them all that I can.
I want each girl to become a lady
And each of the boys to become a man.
But, most of all, what I want each to be,
Is a christian, with a heart true as gold
For, if they are while they are still young,
They will live for HIM as they grow old.
L. B. Strawn
October 19, 1995