A left-handed granddaughter and the gift of Christmas

Miriam lives in Pittsburgh with her parents. She was born last Dec. 30, five days after Christmas, our first granddaughter, someone I called then a 7-pound, 9-ounce package of Love Potion No. 9.

In the last 11 1/2 months, Miriam has expanded that love package, and she will be in New Orleans this week to celebrate her first Christmas and her first birthday.

In her mother’s lap, Miriam loves to read books. Well, she listens, mostly, and flips the pages over with gusto, using her left hand (just like her grandfather, and, well, if truth be told, like her mother).

Every night before she goes to sleep, she is asked, “Miriam, where’s Jesus?”

Using her left index finger, she points to the picture of Jesus on the wall of her bedroom. She is babbling his name and all kinds of mostly  indecipherable things.

She loves Disney’s “Moana” on DVD. Turn to another channel at your own peril.

For her first birthday, we’ve been asked to write Miriam a letter, which she will open, God willing, on her 18th birthday.

I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to write. All I know is, she is too far away. But she’s coming home soon.

Peter Finney Jr. can be reached at [email protected].