Pure unadulterated joy when they see me.

My daughter phones to tell me about the new playground just completed behind her old middle school. I’m already out, getting some weekend iced coffee, so I drive on over.

A Colossus of colors, towering a couple stories high, greets me as I pull into the parking lot. Tubes and slides, chutes and ladders freshly constructed atop rubbery green foam flooring help cushion unfortunate falls.

Screeches of happiness from four brilliant souls, none of them older than five, as they run to greet me — my grandgirlies and their two best buddies. I play with them, climb the highest mountain, slide down the windiest slide, push them on the “zip line” and rescue one as she dangles perilously a few feet above the grass-tro turf.

My youngest grand wanders away to a different playscape. I follow as three others yell out for me in the webbed tower. Returning a few minutes later, my eldest grand says she’d bonked her knee, so I sit down to examine it. Oops, the faux grass is still wet from the night before.

I pop up and she laughs. “Do something else funny, Pappy,” she implores. So I make a scary pose and growl something silly. She screams with hilarity. The others come running, then immediately run away in mock terror.

Mere months ago, doctors cracked open my chest, fixing my heart. It’s whole now and wholly capable of receiving this spontaneous glee shouted at me.

Later, as I announce my goodbye, a swarm of eight arms surrounds me, hug me, tell me they love me. A few steps and my eldest grand is hugging my legs again.

A few more hugs, then hugs every few steps all the way to the gate.

I can’t narrate how ecstatic that feels. Attempting to write it down, words limit me. I implore you to live your life so you can experience something even akin to this. Unbridled love, brilliant, popping excitement at your arrival. Deep, real, ephemeral hugs at your departure.

The love is unfathomable, deep, vast and cherished, a treasure in my healing chest.