"I'll go right home and tell Alice...."

I'm still consumed by the wonderful news of my son's engagement to his much loved girlfriend of the past year. In the midst of daily struggles, joy infuses my moments and I'm grateful and thrilled for these two wonderful people.

The night their engagement was official, I was sharing the happiness with my Mom, showing her pictures, and reveling in the unfolding moments, including Chris and Heather's plan to hop on a plane to Orange County for a day of celebration (and fun) at Disneyland. And then, we both had to laugh because an old, quirky, silly memory came to the fore in both of our minds.....

Years ago, I'll say about 41 years ago to be exact, when Mom and Dad lived in Aruba, communications with the "homeland" took the form of cryptic cable-grams and the occasional overseas telephone call received, not at home, but at my Dad's administrative office building. Most cable-grams and phone calls brought news of grave illness or worse yet, death. We hated to be on the receiving end of these calls. But, every now and again, the phone calls brought joyous news; usually the birth of a child.

Dad took a call from Houston in 1968 announcing the birth of his first grandchild, a beautiful little girl named Caroline. Apparently, one of the first people he saw as he left the "GOB" (General Office Building) as we called it, was a friend named Tony Proterra. Dad's joy was effusive; he apparently pulled Tony aside and shared the news of his new status as a Grandfather to a healthy baby girl back in the states. Tony's response? A classic; and one we laugh about to this day and a phrase we use whenever we've got good news to share with the world.....

"I'll go right home and tell Alice....."

I've the image of Alice, his good wife, at home, waiting for news of any kind from stateside, ready to share in the joyful moments and beyond that, to pick up the local phone (which worked just fine) and dial dozens of others to announce proudly that "today Dean became a grandfather!" News traveled fast in the small local community of Americans overseas in Aruba; what was one person's news belonged to everyone by the end of the day.

So world....let it be known that "I'm going right home to tell Alice" about Chris and Heather's engagement. Denny and I are thrilled and behind them with our love and support 100 percent!