A note to Baby Miah from Pops -- Welcome!

Well, hello there little fella! It’s been over a week that you’ve been out here with us. How are you enjoying it so far?

I hear that your parents are treating you pretty well. Grandmother Keeley is giving you lots of attention too, I’m sure. That’s good. You’re going to be spoiled a lot by two grandma’s! Your Gramma Callihan can’t wait to see you in a week too.

I just thought I would write you a note as the patriarch of this crazy clan, just to give you fair warning of what’s gonna be happening as you start observing those of us who carry your surname around. There’s a lot of baggage that goes with being a Callihan. Most of it is good; at least I think it is.

Let’s start with the most important thing. Our faith. We all have an abiding love for the LORD Jesus Christ in this family. Another name that we hold on to that’s probably even more important than “Callihan” for all of us is “Christian.” You’ll find that as you learn this name (which means "little Christ), and come to a place in the future where you need to consider it seriously, that it means a real lot to your mommy and daddy, your grandparents (on both sides), your uncles and aunts (and future aunts too), and many of your parent’s friends, and other family as well. You’ll learn why as you grow up, and one day, you’ll have to make a decision yourself as to whether you want to take that name as your own. I suspect that daddy and mommy will help you to know quite well what that name means when the time is right. And you can rest assured that your old Pops and Gramma will do our part too, as will Grandfather and Grandmother Keeley, and all of the rest.

Just so you know, my Gramma Callihan, your great, great grandmother, had a lot to do with me considering Jesus in my life when I was almost 19 years old. She gave me a Bible for a high school graduation present that I picked up and read shortly after that. It affected my life and helped me to see the Truth better. So I’m very grateful for my Gramma too.

Now, what about this family of yours?

Well, your daddy and mommy are very special people. They love each other very much as I'm sure you can tell by now! Everybody who knows them sees it all the time. Your daddy is a wonderful man. He is smart. He is good looking too, which has a lot more to do with your Gramma Callihan than me. Sometimes people tell me that he looks like I did when I was his age. But I’m not too sure about that. (They base that on pictures that we have in our photo albums, but you know how cameras can play tricks on things.) So I wouldn’t bank too much on him looking like me. He’s much more handsome than that. And smart – wooooho! Just look at whom he picked for your mommy! If that didn’t take some brains, then. . . well, it speaks for itself.

But beyond that, he treats your mommy like a princess! He knows how to love her, and I’m sure he knows how to love you, little fella. You’re a blessed little boy. That’s for sure. Your daddy is studying lots of important things in college right now that will help a lot of folks in the future. He’s a thinker. I tried to teach him to do that when he was growing up. He’s done a good job loving God with his mind. I know he’s going to help you to do so too.

He and all of your Callihan uncles and aunts were homeschooled by your Pops and Gramma through high school. They even studied some college courses at home. We did this because we loved them too, and wanted them to learn in the best way they could. That's part of the reason that your daddy is so smart. He learned a lot studying on his own as he grew up.

Now, your mommy, well she’s beautiful. She has a cute little laugh too. I’m sure you hear it a lot. She is one of the gentlest ladies I think I’ve ever known. When she was younger, she had to put up with your Pops a lot when he acted stern and sometimes a bit hard on my kids and their friends. But your mommy, she always loved me and treated me so kindly and sweetly. I learned a lot about love from your mommy. And I have to tell you, little Miah, that your mommy is not too dumb at all! In fact, she’s probably ten times as smart as your daddy! And I’ve already told you how smart he is. And do you know what? They say that intelligence comes from the female chromosomes, so you are probably really smart too! That’s good. That’s real good! I’m glad you have such a pretty and smart mommy.

That leads to another thought. I’ve seen just a few pictures of you so far. Your Gramma and I have had a chance to share them around town here in Florida with some of our friends and everybody thinks you’re pretty good looking too! I asked your daddy how that happened that you turned out to be such a good-looking little man when you inherited some of your Pop’s genes? He didn’t really know. But I’ve got an idea that perhaps the Lord didn’t let many of my looks genes get mixed in with yours. That’s a good thing. It really is. (Hopefully there are a few other genes that were mine that bypassed the pool for you as well, but let’s not go there for now—your parents, Gramma, uncles and aunts know what I’m talking about, I’m sure.)

You’ve also got some very cool uncles and aunts though. But I do have to warn you a bit about some of their idiosyncrasies before you have to face up to them directly. Unfortunately, you have already encountered a few of them, like your parents and Uncle Joe. But the upside is that probably they have been on their best behavior so far, since you are just starting out here. That’s good; because maybe I still have a chance to warn you before some of the other things pop up.

Your daddy, for example, can sometimes be a bit set in his ways. That’s not always a bad thing, mind you. But being that he's the oldest child in my family, like you will be too in his, he once in a while carries himself in a certain way that is known as "the oldest child syndrome." Don’t be too hard on him when he does this. He doesn’t know any better. His younger siblings have learned to live with it, as does your mommy. I’m sure you will figure out how to deal with it too, since you will have to deal with it in the future. Other than that, there’s not too much else bad about your daddy. He’s one of the greatest people I know, right up there with about a handful or two of other outstanding people in my life (like your grandparents, uncles and aunts).

Now your mommy, I’ve already pretty much told you all about her. But I do want to point out one other thing about her that will be very important for you to keep in mind. They say that a son marries a girl who’s just like his mother. Well, I have to tell you that your daddy fell right into that trap! Your mommy and your Gramma Callihan are two peas in a pod. So just keep an eye on your Gramma when she comes to visit you next week and pay close attention! She’ll give you lots of clues about how you can expect your mommy to be as you grow up. You’re in for a lot of fun, and a lot of learning, and a lot of hugs and kisses, and mushy stuff that little boys like for a while, and then . . . well that’s something for another time down the road. Probably your daddy will want to explain that part to you, like I did with him.

Since you’ve already met your Uncle Joe, let me give you a few pointers about him that you might not have figured out yet. He’s a slippery fella. For years, he gave us the impression that he wasn’t very much of a student. He always made us think that he was an average thinker. All he wanted to do was learn to play the guitar and lay around. But don’t let that façade fool ya! There’s plenty of brains in there. So when he is around and acts like he’s not too smart, don’t believe it. That’s just his way of keeping you off balance. Uncle Joe is a smart one. He’s into computers and networks and switches (he must have learned to like switches when he got his share of them growing up—we nicknamed him “Teflon Joe” because they didn’t bother him very much), and programming, and all sorts of stuff that smart guys like to play around with. And do you know what? He’s a soldier! But not with guns and ships and stuff like that. He is into airplanes and jets and bombers and radar and electronic gadgets and that kind of sophisticated gadgets that America uses to protect us from our enemies. He’s a REAL soldier . . . a 21st century soldier. That’s really cool. He’s a real GI Joe. And you have one of your very own! Your Uncle GI Joe! But don’t be fooled. Your Uncle Joe also loves God and plays a hot guitar to share that love with others. Yep. He’s a musician. How cool is that? A musical soldier uncle dude! Wow! Have you got a lot to learn from him!

Uncle Joe’s lady friend is Constance. You’re going to meet her soon. She’s a very special young lady who is very talented as an artist. We all like her a lot and are getting to know her. We know she’s special because she likes your Uncle Joe and cares for him very much. I’m sure she will be a lot of fun when you meet her.

That’s one thing you will learn about your Callihan family. There is a lot of love going around. It’s contagious. So just sit back and enjoy it. It’s not that we don’t yell at each other, and compete, and bicker, and all that. But we always have a way of settling down and reconciling and forgiving and loving each other. And that’s what it’s all about.

Your other uncle, Uncle Wesley, isn’t into playing with guns and computer programs and stuff like that. (Unless it's a computer game.) But he’s pretty cool too. Just watch out though, because Uncle Wes is kind of wild. He goes at eighty miles per hour all the time. He’s a lot different from your daddy in that way. In fact, your daddy used to be pretty annoyed with your Uncle Wes when they were growing up because your daddy always thought that your Uncle Wesley was just nuts or something. But it’s just that Uncle Wesley is intense. He is very smart (do I see a pattern here—like your Gramma?) and is into lots of really cool things. He likes to sing and write music, and write plays, and what’s more, he’s an actor! He’s been doing that for a long time too. But don’t be misled. He’s like your daddy too, in more ways than your daddy likes to admit. That stubborn thing that I mentioned earlier . . . it’s a Callihan trait. Runs through all of the boys in this family. I wouldn’t be surprised if you have it too.

(It comes from being from Irish blood I think. Not sure about that, but just remember that it can be a good thing just as much as a bad thing. It all comes down to what you do with it. Stubborn faith is a good thing. Stubbornness just to be stubborn probably isn’t. Just learn to recognize the difference and you’ll be fine. All of my boys seem to know the difference and most of the time they know how to handle it.)

Uncle Wesley will be a lot of fun when you grow up. He’s got this girlfriend who makes him look real good too. I call her Beccus (her real name is Rebecca, or Becca for short), because as you’ll see in a moment, you have an Aunt Bekah too. Yeah, things get confusing around here sometimes. But that’s just how life is sometimes, and you have to learn to roll with the punches, little fella. Beccus has a lot of patience and wisdom for dealing with Uncle Wes. It’s a gift that God has given her. She’s very special. And we know you will like her when you meet her too. And if you ever want to tour New York City, ask her to show you around!

Now, I’ve saved the best for last—the good looking part of the Callihan family kids. (Don't get me wrong . . . Uncle Josiah and Uncle Wes have good looking girl friends too. Remember, they pick girls like their mom.) That’s your Aunts Bekah and Katie. They are beautiful aunties, not like the kinds of haggy old ladies that you will learn about when your mommy and daddy read you fairy tales like Rumpelstilskin or Cinderella. And do I have to say it again, they’re smart too! Very smart. So smart in fact that they married your Uncles who are smart too!

Let me share about them one at a time so that you don’t get confused. I’m throwing a lot at you all at once, which I know you can handle, but why put all of this on you so fast when you can sit back and enjoy it a bit at a time? So let me start with your older Aunt Bekah and then I’ll share a bit about your younger Aunt Kate.

Aunt Bekah is almost the same age as your daddy, just 15 months younger to the day. Her real name is Rebekah, but we always called her Bekah, which is the name she likes to be called. I’m sure she will want you to call her Aunt Bekah too.

Your daddy and Aunt Bekah have always been close because they lived together most of their lives until your daddy got married to your mommy. They spent about 20 years goofing off together and I imagine that they are almost like best friends. Speaking of that, one of the really cool things about your Aunt Bekah is that she is also your mommy’s best friend. They used to play together all the time when they were younger. It doesn’t surprise me that your daddy eventually married your mommy because he had a lot of the same tastes in friends that your Aunt Bekah did. Your mommy and your Aunt Bekah even went to college together at Roberts Wesleyan and got nursing degrees together. Isn’t that cool? Yep. Aunt Bekah is a nurse. She loves serving people and helping them get well, like your mommy does too. It’s a special calling that they have, that God gave them.

Your Aunt Bekah and her husband, Uncle Bobby, have a really nice house in Florida. That’s good because when things get cold and windy there in Colorado, your mommy and daddy can take you to see your Aunt Bekah and Uncle Bobby in Florida where it’s a lot warmer. You can stay there and drive around to other places to visit.

I already mentioned that Aunt Bekah is a very pretty lady. She likes to fix up her house and read and sing songs and lots of things that Aunts do. I’m not sure what she will do when she sees you next month but I’m sure you will get to know her very well, since she plans to come out and spend a month with you in April. Uncle Bobby is going to come out too for a little while. He’s a special man who is very strong and works with his hands. He picks up big blocks made of cinder and builds them into houses and buildings and things like that. He pours cement and works with trucks and machines. I'm sure you will think he does a lot of fun things as you grow up. He just plays with men's toys. He owns his own business where he tells other men what to do. He is very honest in his work, which is good because as you will learn, many people try to cut corners and stuff when they do business and cheat people. But your Uncle Bobby doesn’t do that. You need to make sure that you treat your Uncle Bobby very well, because when you grow up he may be rich and you might want to borrow some money from him sometime (or maybe if you really get close, he will just give you some in his will—you never know). You will learn a lot from your Uncle Bobby and Aunt Bekah because I’m sure your parents will want to be visiting them a lot in the future. That’s a good thing about a close family. They want to be together, even when they live a long way apart. And I wouldn’t be surprised if your uncles and aunts all move near each other in the future as they figure out where they want to finally settle down. It might not happen, but there’s a good possibility that it may as well. We’ll see.

You need to know that Uncle Bobby’s and Aunt Bekah’s last name is Warner. That’s what happens when most ladies get married. They take the surname of their husband. A few don’t, but we won’t confuse you about that now. Just know that their last name is different from yours but they are still related. That’s how this family stuff works. Uncle Bobby and Aunt Bekah have two pups named Chi and MacKenzie. They like to play in the backyard a lot. (The pups, not Uncle Bobby and Aunt Bekah.)

What else can I tell you about Aunt Bekah before I move on to Aunt Katie? Let’s see.

Oh yeah, as you are growing up, you might hear Aunt Bekah call one of her siblings, your uncles or your parents or your grandparents a funny name like “dork” or “dweeb” or something like that. If you do, don’t worry. That’s her way of showing affection. It’s something she has done for a long time and although it might sound like she’s putting the person down, it’s not like that at all. In fact, if she didn’t do it, we would think something was wrong. That’s another one of those Callihan traits that doesn’t really make a lot of sense, but we all know what it means. Just thought I would warn you. Now mind you, even though we adults do it, don’t think you will be able to get away with it! That’s just one of the rules of being an adult that you will have to wait a few years to figure out—kind of like a right-of-passage. Eventually, you will figure it out and one day, you will be able to do it too. But that's a long time from now so don't worry about it.

So let me go on and introduce you to your Aunt Katie. Yes, that is her real name, not short for Kathryn or Kathleen or Caitlyn or anything like that. Just Katie. She, like your Aunt Bekah, was born in Texas when we lived in a little town called Katy, Texas. But we liked the spelling that we gave your Aunt Katie better, so that’s how she got her name. Her middle name is Elizabeth, which is from the Bible.

All of your aunts and uncles have a Bible name for either their first or middle name, like you do. Let me share them with you:

Your daddy is Jeremiah Daniel. The middle name is after your Pop’s twin brother and is also in the Bible, like his first name is.
There’s your Aunt Rebekah Ruth, both Bible names.
Then there’s your Aunt Katie Elizabeth that I already told you about.
Uncle Joe is actually Josiah Everett—Josiah was a Jewish King and Everett is your great-grandfather’s name. He was a loving and caring Christian man who was a Methodist minister as well, and played the piano, organ and accordion, but he passed away a few years ago. Your great-grandmother is still alive. We call her Granny. Her real name is Alberta and she lives in New York state, where your Grandfather and Grandmother Keeley live.
And Uncle Wesley David Callihan is named after the famous English Methodist and has my first name as his middle name. Yes, my real name is David Roy Callihan. Roy was a close friend of my parents I’m told.
And your Gramma is Laurie Ann (Perryman) Callihan. I’m not sure who Ann was. Perryman is her maiden name, the surname she had before we were married. Her dad, your great grandpa Donald Perryman died many years ago, but your great grandma Hazel Perryman is still alive and lives in New York too.

Now getting back to Aunt Katie. She is also very pretty and smart like your Gramma and Aunt Bekah. She’s also good at business like your Uncle Bobby. But she is married to your Uncle Shawn. Their last name is Romano. Uncle Shawn does all kinds of really cool things with computer graphics. It has to do with movies and websites and special effects and stuff that still confuses me, so I’ll just suggest that you ask him about it when you get older. I’m sure he would have no problem showing you what he does. Both of them love Jesus too. That's something that all of your aunts and uncles do very well.

Aunt Katie likes to work on designing buildings and rooms in buildings and the outside of buildings and stuff like that. She’s another one of your relatives that you will want to get to know well. Uncle Shawn and Aunt Katie are very interesting people who also live in one of those places where you might like to go when you get a little older, Orlando, Florida. That’s where they have some special theme parks with lots of cool rides and games and fun things that kids like to do. So make sure you get to know them really well. Maybe, just maybe, your daddy and mommy will let you go there for a couple of weeks to hang out and go to those theme parks! You might even get to see a great big mouse near their place, if you are good.

Aunt Katie is also very close to your daddy because she’s only a few of years younger than your daddy and spent a lot of time together with him and your Aunt Bekah when they were young. Aunt Katie used to like to do some pretty funny things when she was growing up, like go outside without shoes on and other things like that. She also loves animals a lot. She used to raise goats and rabbits and take care of horses, along with your Aunt Bekah, and she even bred some puppies once and sold some of them. We still have the mommy dog, Babe that she bred the puppies with. And two of those doggies your Pops and Gramma also still have, Chunky and Pudgie. They are English Springer Spaniels. If you even go to see us in Florida, you’ll get the chance to meet our pups. But we’ll make sure you’re big enough before letting them jump on you. They wouldn’t try to hurt you, but they might knock you over if they see you because they’re a bit excitable and everything. Uncle Shawn and Aunt Katie also have a pup named Serif.

So that’s a little bit about our family and the name that you bear—Callihan. The name is from Irish descent as I mentioned. It means “son of little contention,” and has its roots in Irish nobility going back to the 11th century or sometime there about. It seems that its origins have to do with loving peace and brotherly kindness as a way of life and being such an example of that to have it become the family name. That’s a good thing, taken as a Christian virtue.

As you grow up, little fella, I hope you have a chance to go back and read this letter again sometime. I’m not sure whether we’ll be nearby when you do or not. If so, stop by and see me, if I’m around, and let’s talk about what you’re thinking about at the time. Ask me some questions, if you like, so I can fill in any of the missing pieces that might not be clear. Maybe you will have brothers and sisters by then who you can read it to and they will also have questions. That would be good too. I would love to share anything I know with you.

It’s very exciting that you are here, Little Miah. You are the beginning of a legacy. Your entrance into the world starts another generation of my family tree, another branch. Right now it is just starting to bud and to grow. But it is a special branch that came from your grandfather, Everett Gene Callihan. He was from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, as was his father, and grandfather, and grandfathers through several generations, back to 1794, when Thomas and Mary Broctor Callihan came here from Ireland and settled in Pleasantville, Pennsylvania, right near Johnstown. They had strong Pennsylvania Dutch roots in the Brethren church. There were many Christians in their families too. Not all of them, of course. But your roots of faith go deep. I pray that you too will become a young man of faith in Jesus Christ who loves the Father like your mommy and daddy do as well.

Your life is just beginning. But you’re getting a good start. Welcome to Earth, little fella. I’m sure that you have an exciting journey ahead of you. I can’t wait to meet you really soon!

I love you.

Pops