into the thirty-sixth hour of labor, mama-bear was exhausted. already passed the due date by two weeks, she was more than ready for this baby to make his entrance into the world. the road to this moment was filled with stops and u-turns and heartbreaks. this baby was a sweet blessing and nothing short of a miracle from God. when the doctor walked in for what seemed like the hundredth time, mama-bear had enough. there would be no more waiting. she grabbed his tie, looked him right in the eye, and told him to get this baby out. a combination of fear and surprise were in his eyes as he grabbed her chart. it suddenly dawned on him that she had to deliver the baby via cesarean section. those painful hours were unnecessary, but she didn't care. the baby would be born in a matter of minutes.
when she came out of surgery, the nurse congratulated her on the delivery of a healthy baby girl. oh no. she exclaimed. they told us it was a boy. papa-bear wanted a boy. the nurse smiled really big and said not to worry because he was already so in love with their baby girl.
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that birth story happened on this day, twenty-eight years ago. papa-bear and mama-bear are my parents. i am the baby girl. back in the day, they didn't have fancy ultrasounds to determine the baby's sex, so it was more of a guessing game. i love when my mama tells me that story. it reminds me of God's faithfulness. after years of trying and a heartbreaking miscarriage, He gave my parents not one, but two kids. my brother was born almost two years later.
good grief, i am a hot mess right now.
mama & daddy: thank you for raising your children in a christian home. thank you for loving me, despite the mistakes i made. thank you for the constant support and encouragement. and most of all, thank you for loving each other. y'all celebrate your thirty-third wedding anniversary on friday. that says something, especially these days.
bubba: you are one of my favorite people in the world. thank you for loving me. thank you for standing by my side, even when i messed up. thank you for constantly making me laugh. you are the best little brother a girl could ask for. and i'm really glad our parents didn't take you back to walmart like i requested.
friends: i love you all. whether we are friends in real life or online; whether we've met once or only via social media - thank you. i cannot express my gratitude for the friends i have and this community of strangers-turned-friends. i've already cried twice since writing this post, so i'll end with this: friendship isn't a big thing; it's a million little things. and friends, i feel like a millionaire.
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