Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl

She turned 49 yesterday, our baby girl. How can our child be 49?

She was born in Pasadena, CA on November 19, 1963. Her dad and I walked into Huntington Memorial Hospital on a sunny Tuesday morning, giddy with anticipation. Three days later, the sky darkened.

Back then, new mothers stayed in the hospital longer. On Friday morning, those of us who were going home on Saturday, gathered in a small conference room to watch a movie on bathing the baby. We waited, but no one came. Finally, we  heard a commotion in the hall. The President had just been shot in Dallas.

The hospital staff continued to function, but a stunned silence settled over the hospital. Toward evening, an aide shuffled absently into our room and changed the sheets for the second time that day. She seemed to be sleepwalking. Before lights out, the nurse tried to comfort my roommate and me.   "Now I don't want you girls to worry," she said, " the Kennedys have plenty of money." 


3 comments:

  1. I didn't expect the post to go where it did. It gave me the chills.

    Happy Birthday to your Baby Girl. Time goes by way too fast when it comes to our children.

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  2. Golly, you're a good writer! Thank you.

    ReplyDelete