The Year Was 1991…

The date was May 23. I was 20 days overdue for this baby to make her appearance, and had been eating all the spicy food and taking my dog for numerous walks around the block for weeks. This was getting really old!

Children hadn’t been in the plan for Gary & I, and he had a doctor’s appointment that morning to see about getting a little snip. As we were talking to the doctor, who bluntly asked this very pregnant woman and her husband, “Have you thought about this completely? What if this baby [pointing to my belly] dies and you can’t have another one?” In my shock – labor started. We decided to put off that particular decision for the day, and went home. I insisted on a Rally’s hamburger on the way, and as I was sitting in the living room eating it, things got really real!

I wanted to just finish my burger in peace, ignoring my husband’s pleas to go to the hospital. He called my father (who ALWAYS must be obeyed!) who told me that he would meet us at the hospital in 20 minutes even though I insisted this was a first baby and it would take HOURS, if not another day, for her to make her appearance. But nobody said no to my father…and we went. The number of those “hours” was 2.

And, though I felt like I already knew her (how could I not, so intimate is the relationship of 2 people sharing a body?), I finally met my baby. She was soon handed over to her proud and ecstatic daddy while the nurses and I finished up necessary business…and that was my girl’s Birth Day. At the time I wasn’t sure about things (it’s no secret that I didn’t want to have children) but of course, that baby turned out to be the best thing I ever did, and – most likely – the whole reason for Gary and I. She has been my reason for living and this is the day every year that I realize God has a special purpose for each one of us…we are each part of His plan, and I have seen that over and over and over again as she has grown into the amazing woman – and best friend – that she is now.

CLIDLU!