I am always amazed by how lucky I am to be a grandparent in the 21st century.

My granddaughter was born on the other side of the world, but I heard her voice before she had been in this world for 10 minutes. She slept on my chest when she was only 10 days old, and I have received constant updates through Facebook and e-mails for the last year and a half. I have actually had the opportunity to spend about nine weeks with her so far -- in Beijing, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, D.C. -- and little Maddie never fails to amaze me.

[caption id="attachment_290" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Maddie and Pauline"]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/baby.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-290" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/baby-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>[/caption]

Of course, neither does her mother.

I can honestly say I have never seen anyone show more patience, more love and more consistency with an infant than Pauline has. She and her husband Ryan have done everything they can to make Maddie feel both loved and safe, and it shows.

One thing I really appreciate is that she seems to love books, even though she can't read yet. She sits and turns the pages herself, and when I was visiting at Christmas, she brought book after book for me to read to her. Since she will be growing up overseas for at least two years out of every three, she probably won't pick up the unfortunate habit of watching American television.

Maddie was walking before she was a year old, and she is talking up a storm now. When you look into her eyes, you can tell there's someone home there. I have a feeling she will grow up to be a very intelligent young lady.

Given the mother, the grandmother and the great grandmother she has, three amazing women, I don't see how she could possbly be anything else.