Charles D Growing Up

Our oldest grandson, Charles Douglas Reeves, has always been Charles D to me, to differentiate from his Granddaddy Charles. He and his lovely wife, Allie Nowell Reeves, have recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary. He’s a fine responsible and handsome young man, full of integrity, busy and skilled as an electrician, and quick to help anyone in need. As his Nana, I always knew he would be resourceful and be able to master tough situations. I love to remember some of his “growing up” stories.

One evening I took Charles D’s dad his favorite pumpkin pie. He ate one piece, then put it in the refrigerator to enjoy the next day. Charles D, about three years old then, observed the stashing of the pie. In the night he got hungry, padded down the hall, ate the entire filling out of the pie, and put the crust back. He didn’t even try to tell a lie when questioned. He was proud of his success!

He was always a champion of the underdog, or cat as the case might be. When his cat, Sassy, birthed four kittens he became concerned that cars were going too fast in our driveway. So he made wooden signs cautioning drivers to go only 4 mph as our driveway was a cat crossing. As the kittens grew, we told him he could keep one of them but would have to give three away. He obeyed with only brief argument. He gave one to his older sister a few miles away, one to his mother, and one to his cousin William visiting from Birmingham. His sister and mother soon returned theirs for various reasons and Charles D had his kittens back. He and Sassy were happy.

I don’t think he was always the class clown but I know one day when he was. I forgot that morning to give him an important medication and had to take it to him. As I headed down the hall to his first grade room at Southside School, I heard uproarious hilarity and wondered what could be happening. Miss Bell met me at the door, a look of relief on her face. “You’re just in time,” she said. Was Charles D receiving an award? Then I saw the whole drama. Charles D stood in front of a captivated audience pulling the pockets of his pants in and out, standing on one foot, making funny faces–until he saw me. Suddenly there was complete silence as Miss Bell said, “I’m trying to teach math here.” Needless to say, Charles D and I had a meeting in the hall.

Charles D enjoyed his high school years, particularly NJROTC. I can see him now in the color guard marching smartly onto the football field or raising the flag as the band played the National Anthem. He loved church camps, going to the beach, playing video games, and having friends over. Probably his favorite hobby, even from six years old, was fishing.

To me, his most memorable fishing event happened near Jacksonville, Florida when he was about eleven. He, my sister, and I were spending the night with my niece Joan who was living temporarily in a little apartment near Mayo Clinic. She was awaiting a liver transplant. He, of course, was bored with all us women and went outside to investigate. The apartments were situated along a pretty little canal lined with willows. Next thing I knew Charles D was asking Joan for string to rig up a fishing pole with a willow branch. Joan, who loved to encourage children, volunteered a safety pin along with the string.
Charles D was in business. There was a prominent “No Fishing” sign by the water, but how could a boy with only a sprangly willow branch catch a fish? But he did! About a six inch fish at that. And he couldn’t get him off the hook. It had turned dark, and there we were beside a “No Fishing” sign struggling by flashlight to take a fish off a safety pin. The poor fish was thoroughly injured by the time we extricated him and threw him back in the water. I’m sure Charles D would choose a different fishing day as his favorite, like the day as a teenager when he caught a five pound bass in a local pond.

So–as I said, I always knew Charles D would be resourceful. Today, on his 29th birthday, I’m thanking God for the generous, talented, and helpful man he has become. I’m thankful, too, that he still has a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, the personality of the fisherman boy and the class clown.

A favorite verse of Charles D’s is Luke 1:37: For with God nothing shall be impossible.