Living for his grandbabies!

In celebration of World Health Day 2021 and of Jeff Traudt being named "World's Best Papa" (by his daughters! CONGRATULATIONS, YOU DID IT!):

Here are a few pictures of the greatest dad and papa on the planet:

My dad's dad died in a car accident one month after my dad turned seven.  The middle of three kids, my dad was suddenly the oldest male in the home. From that very young age, he has been a caregiver to his mother, his siblings... and more recently to my mom, me and my sisters, our husbands, our babies, and a large number of friends who are down on their luck. If you're looking for "JT," you can find him seeking out and supporting the underdog.

We have about 1,381 family videos at my parents' home, and in each one-- dating back to when his own children were babies-- you can hear my dad proclaiming a cheery hello to his (then non-existent) grandkids. He wanted to be sure that, even if he were not here to meet them or watch them grow up (as was the case with his dad and his three daughters), they would know how much Papa loves them. 

My dad is now currently fighting his third recurrence of kidney cancer, and the tumors have spread to his spine, his partial and only remaining kidney, and three other organs. He is down to 140 pounds but is otherwise feeling quite well. It is a true miracle for our family. When we learned last April, two weeks after my third daughter was born, that his cancer was back, both of my sisters were in their second trimesters of pregnancy. As the disease had progressed so far, we didn't know if he would have the chance to meet his newest babies-- grandbabies #6 & 7 born in the last 4.5 years-- in the fall.

And here we are four months into 2021. The newest babes are big and thriving and just mostly obsessed with their larger-than-life Papa, as are the rest of us. My sisters and I live away from our parents now, but we are sure to be with Nana and Papa as much as possible, and they come to us every few weeks/months. We are truly blessed.

Darn Covid is preventing him from playing tennis and skiing for the time being, but it can't keep him from loving on his babies, walking on his hands, and loving life with every ounce of his being.

Thank you, Papa, for gifting us with your unending love, care, and JOY! How did you get so great?

And let's hear it for Cleveland Clinic's Taussig Cancer Center and, in particular, the wonderful Dr. Moshe Ornstein and his team. We are so grateful for the care Dad is receiving!

A Letter to My Mum

 

[Article written by yours truly :) --  originally written for and published by THAT MAMA CLUB . Reposted on my own blog with permission!]

To my dearest mother:

I am sorry that I did not understand.

When I was younger, I did not fully understand the impact of pregnancy on one’s body. I was

not aware of the ways in which your body and mind had to stretch and grow in order to

accommodate the growing child (me!) within you.

I did not understand the fatigue you felt as you recovered from your deliveries and then

comforted and fed babies all day and then overnight. I didn’t know the effort that went into

bringing me into the world and the length of time required to fully recover from that

momentous event.

I did not understand the psychological, emotional, and physical exertion involved with feeding

your littlest loves. I wasn’t aware that women struggled so much with the decision (or lack of

decision) to breastfeed or not to breastfeed. I didn’t know about the heightened sense of

responsibility you felt as you were the primary nourishment for your child.

I did not understand the tremendous amounts of energy that you poured into your daughters

every day. I didn’t realize how much effort it took to make sure your young children were well-

fed, had diapers changed, went potty, went down for naps, and stayed safe from all hazards.

I did not understand the worries you felt. You worried about whether we were happy, healthy,

eating enough, kind to other children, and grateful. Most of all, you just wanted us to know

how absolutely loved we were (and are!).

I did not understand how you could feel isolated and lonely while home with your three tiny

beings. It would not have made sense to me then; there were people around you, only these

people required your time and attention. We couldn’t give back to you as much as you were

giving to us.

I did not understand why you awakened at 5 am each day to squeeze in your prayer time and

coffee in the silence. It sounded strange to me to set an alarm so early just to have those

precious moments to yourself.

I did not understand the sacrifices you made in your own career and personal life so that you

would be as available to us as possible. I didn’t think about how, in becoming a mother, you had

to give up some components of your life before children.

I did not understand how your heart hurt when one of us was sick. I could not yet know how

one person’s body and being could be so intertwined with another’s.

I did not understand the cognitive effort that went into planning every meal, carpool, vacation,

holiday, playdate—and the list goes on and on. I saw you working, but I just didn’t comprehend

the vastness of the to-do list.

I did not understand the communication and attentiveness it required to stay on top of the

school, work, and activity schedules of our family of five. We were absolutely busy, and in my

eyes, it was easy to have it all fall right into place. It felt seamless.

I did not understand your frustration when you had to remind us over and over again to do our

chores and to participate in the family responsibilities. It didn’t seem to be a big deal to me

then.

I did not understand how hard you and dad worked to ensure your marriage remained strong

and everlasting. I didn’t know that it took a conscious effort to be sure you were not drifting

apart amid the chaos of everyday young family life.

I did not understand, but still, I was grateful. I was thankful to have you as my mom and to have

dad as my dad.

And now I am a grown woman and wife, and I have three young, vibrant daughters, myself.

And I know.

I do now understand more of how you may have been feeling.

I wish I would have been able to know it then, but that, of course, is not how life works.

So, please know how utterly grateful I am to you for the decades of your life that you’ve poured

into nourishing and loving me and my sisters.

And of course, amidst all the craziness of having little children, I do now also know the absolute,

unconditional love that I feel toward my own children. And I know, without a doubt, that you

cherished (and cherish!) that love, too. I know what an incredible impact each of my children

has had in my life and how each child allows me to love greater and greater. I know the

precious feel of their snuggles and the delicate sound of their voices. I know so intimately how

these little people are helping to fulfill my life’s mission and to make my life more full and

complete—in such a beautiful way. And I know that you know all of that, too.

I love you so much.

Aren’t we the luckiest?