I said that I would blog about each of my grandchildren once and Nikalai keeps coming to mind now, especially after being in Dominican Republic and sharing with the children there what HE asked me to share.

You see, Nik is a compassionate young man of many facets and I PRAY that continues.

He is an athlete...among other sports, he is an avid hockey player. His dad made a very cool rink in the back yard and his mom has to make him come in from it, no matter how cold.  He is on a traveling hockey team.

He. Is. A. Hockey. Guy.

He also, however, has a bevy of stuffed animals he sleeps with, including a teddy bear that is bigger than he is....

...AND, among other things, he likes creating stuff like Rainbow Loop bracelets that are VERY cool and that he showed me how to make so that I could share them with all of these kids wearing them in the Dominican school where we worked last month.

He. Is. A. Teddy. Bear. And. Rainbow. Loop. Guy.

How cool is that?

A young man who can shoot a puck and hug a bear....a young man who can make a goal and make a bracelet.

Of course, he is only 8 so the world hasn't totally 'got him' yet but I am going to hold fast to the belief that he can and will continue to be BOTH.

I pray that Nik, with his athletic body and compassionate heart, will continue to not only build that body BUT nurture that heart because this world needs more men of many facets like him.

Nik, your grandma says, "PLEASE stay just the way you are".

In hockey, when you reach for and get a goal, you 'light the lamp'.

In life, when you reach for and touch another, you 'light a life.'

Go ahead and shoot those pucks and make those goals and  light those lamps, Nik...

.... but NEVER EVER stop hugging those teddy bears and making those bracelets and  lighting those lives.

Please.

Oh, and thank you ever so much for lighting mine.