It seems impossible that it has been only 34 short years since T. and I were rushing to Doctor's Hospital to give birth to our first child who had elected to arrive in the wee hours of the 22nd of August. We had left my sister and her husband at the house and the future grandmothers of said unborn child were blissfully asleep at their respective homes, unaware of the drama about to play out in our lives. Sis and bro had kindly come down on the 21st, to keep us company when birth pangs set in. Being our first experience at birthing a baby, we weren't quite sure of the protocol but I knew I wanted family around. My sister lived just down the block from us. She and J. came when we said we thought I was in labor. (No, really!)
We talked and I walked. And we talked some more while the hours rolled by. Finally I told T. I thought it would be better for us to be at the hospital rather than our home. Just in case the pains being so close together meant birth was imminent. That was all he needed to hear. Grabbing the packed suitcase, he drove me like the proverbial bat getting to the hospital. What did we know! Several eons later, our daughter was born. It was getting on toward morning when we welcomed her to the world, cuddled her while counting fingers and toes then called the two new grandmothers and one great-grandmom. We woke them up but none of them seemed to mind a bit.
I remember how little she was that long gone morning when our life together was just beginning. Now she's grown - and I'm the grandmother to her two boys and to the son born to her sister. Now I can understand the way my own mother must have felt to see her grandchildren playing on the rug or running in to give her a hug.
Happy Birthday daughter.
4 comments:
This brngs a smile through tears. I didn't remember all of this. You, being so central to the story, remember so well. It was a Happy Day of Birth, indeed.
I don't think I ever thanked you and J. for coming down to be with us that night. But I was and am grateful for you guys being there for all our baby birth-days. I recall Susan's too but that's a tale best told in September. :)
This was a wonderful blog post. As a child, I remember walking to your home and eating the dark purple berries off the Sea-Grape tree. I also remember Sarah sitting with Uncle T. near the boat close the the edge of the canal while fishing. Susan would reach for my leg as I walked by her standing on her toes while in her playpen.
Zeta - I recall your being born and I was a mere 15 years old. I woke up to the news I had a niece and I can recall thinking that I'd always be able to tell how old you were by taking 15 from my age. So far it has worked out well. You're another of my sweet memories!
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