The Gifts

The=20 Gifts

t=20 was a hot, humid day in September. =20 A day just like most for the sleepy little Georgia town. When would the cool breeze of = Fall find=20 its way to our door? = Stickiness was=20 in the air as well as on my body. =20 As I got out of the car, the hot air took my breath away. Pulling my dress away from my = skin was=20 like peeling a banana. It = was so=20 hot! Work was extra = tiring today=20 for my eight-and- a-half month pregnant body. I had driven two hundred = miles, covering=20 four towns on this sweltering day. The oversized recliner perching = in the=20 living room was going to be my Paradise. =20 Just a few more steps and I will be there. As I sank down into the plump = cushions=20 and raised the leg rest, a great sigh of relief escaped my lips. My Paradise had=20 begun.

When=20 you have children, rest is short-lived. =20 Erin, my three year old, ran into the room. Her innocent face was beaming = with=20 excitement. She had just = painted=20 her fingers and toes "just like Mommy." =20 Panic gripped my being as I asked, =93Who helped you paint your = fingers and=20 toes?=94 That innocent = face glowed as=20 she replied, =93Me, I can do it myself!=94 =20 I feared the inevitable. = How=20 much fingernail polish would be found on my only-been-laid-two-weeks=20 carpet? I struggled to = rise from my=20 seat of clouds as the child within reminded me of her presence. Was this child begging for = attention=20 like her older sister?

Paradise=20 had come and gone, leaving in its path a trail of red fingernail polish = on the=20 toilet seat. I couldn=92t = be=20 mad. She was really = trying to be=20 like Mom. I tried to = remind myself=20 it was the little things that keep us humble. Little things. Would the little child within = be curious=20 about life, or would she follow her older sister=92s lead? This question would be = answered after=20 her arrival in three more weeks.

Did=20 I say three more weeks? = Well,=20 that=92s what I thought, too. = That=20 very night, after the sweltering heat had cooled and all creatures great = and=20 small were sleeping, the child within decided it was time to greet the=20 world. The pain was=20 excruciating. My body = tensed as the=20 contraction took hold. I = was always=20 told not to worry unless the pains were closer than five minutes = apart. As the contraction eased, I = turned on my=20 side to wait for the next one. = It=20 should be a while. After = all, Erin=20 took twelve hours of labor to make her entrance into the=20 world.

Ouch! The blanket of pain enveloped = my body=20 again. The clock only = revealed=20 three minutes between contractions. =20 I was in trouble. = This baby=20 was coming and coming now! = I=20 punched Roger and said, =93Get up, it's time!=94 Roger jumped with a start and = said he=20 had to take a shower first. = My only=20 reply, which would haunt me again later, was =93You=92ve got to be = kidding!=94 He wasn=92t. Roger showered while I waited = for an=20 eternity. The Georgia = aquifers=20 drained as my body ached with pain. =20

Finally,=20 we were ready. Now came = the real=20 test. Every movement = caused my body=20 to tense to a contraction. = Climbing=20 out of the house, brick masons were coming tomorrow to build the steps, = was like=20 coming down from a mountain summit. =20 One hurdle down, but where=92s the truck? In its safe haven from roofing = nails, I=20 see it. The truck is so = far=20 away. Roger helps as I = weakly make=20 my way to the truck. The = pain is=20 excruciating. =20

The=20 hospital was in sight. = The air=20 began to be filled with antiseptic as a nurse hurried to prepare the = bed. A flurry of activity ensued = around me as=20 the staff prepared for the arrival of the child. To me, time slowed to almost a = stop. Doctor=92s orders = were muffled=20 as my reactions slowed to the speed of a 45-rpm record being played on = the=20 33=BD-rpm speed. =20

Roger=92s=20 eyes shone with excitement as the doctor instructed me to push one last=20 time. The child emerged = into a=20 world filled with flurry. = She=20 yelled to let everyone know she had arrived. This gift of a perfect child = was at the=20 center of the universe. = My body=20 relaxed as I watched the activity swell around my newborn baby. My eyes caught the doctor=92s = eyes. He had puzzled look on his = face. =93What=92s wrong?=94 I asked, = fearing the=20 worst. He said my stomach = was still=20 too big. My first thought = was that=20 I would be fat for the rest of my life. =20 Then he broke the news, =93I think you have another baby in = there=94. The time warp stopped, and I = echoed my=20 familiar, =93You=92ve got to be kidding!=94 =20 The words had not completely escaped my mouth when the next child = began=20 her journey to freedom.

The=20 second child arrived as the first, into a world of excitement. This second gift of a perfect = child now=20 joined the center stage with her sister. =20 My doctor stood with a look of amazement and delight. How did he miss two heartbeats = through=20 all those months of examinations? =20 His colleagues would not let him live this one down. Throughout all this = excitement, all I=20 could think of was two babies. = Two babies! What wonderful gifts from = God. These gifts will change our = lives=20 forever. These gifts were = sent by=20 God to touch all in their path, and I am truly blessed to be the = receiver. =20