Twenty-Five Years Ago This Month

Twenty-five years is a long time.  A quarter of a century.  Having twenty-five years with a beautiful, sweet daughter is something to appreciate.  Twenty-five years ago this month, my youngest daughter was born.  

The day she was born, I had labored all night and went to the hospital the following morning.  Being my second birthing experience, I was much more at ease in knowing when to go.  By 10:35 a.m. I held my sweet baby girl in my arms. 

When my oldest daughter was born, my Mom was my only family nearby.  When my youngest was born, many family members lived close to us.  My sister had my oldest daughter with her, and when they returned, my newborn met her older sister and her aunt (my youngest daughter’s namesake).  Not too long after that, my Dad and step-mom (Papa and Granny) arrived and held her when she was only a few hours old. 

The type of insurance we had at that time did not approve an overnight stay in the hospital, so we were discharged later in the day. As a result, I was home by 8:00 p.m. with this brand new baby girl.  Being home that soon with a newborn, I was a little nervous, but I really didn’t have much choice.  She did fine, we all did, and I was thankful to have my sweet girl.

1995 – Twenty-Five Years Ago

Some Popular Movies

• Batman Forever
• Apollo 13
• Toy Story
• Pocahontas

Some Popular Television Shows

• Seinfeld (NBC)
• ER (NBC)
• Home Improvement (ABC)
• Grace Under Fire (ABC)
• Monday Night Football (ABC)

Some Popular Books

Fiction

• The Rainmaker by John Grisham
• The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
• The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
• Insomnia by Stephen King
• Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

Nonfiction

• Couplehood, by Paul Reiser
• The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston
• Crossing the Threshold of Hope by John Paul II
• Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
• Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt.

Academy Awards

• For Best Picture, Braveheart
• Mel Gibson, Best Director for Braveheart
• Best Actor, Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas
• Best Actress, Susan Sarandon in Dead Man Walking

But, That Month of April

One distinct memory from that month she was born is when I was sitting in a wooden rocking chair in our small living room on April 19. Rocking her, I held her in my arms.  Tears poured as I watched the coverage of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City killing 168 (including 19 children) and wounding nearly 700 others.  How was I feeling so very blessed, and thankful, and incredibly sad all at the same time? Watching the carnage, the wreckage of the building, the terrible loss of life, the grieving people looking for their loved ones.  So unbelievable and cruel.  I held my baby daughter close, and prayed for the victims and families of those I was watching.

Twenty-Five Years: A Milestone Age

I was twenty-five years old when I had my first daughter.  Much has happened in the twenty-five years of my second daughter.  During that time, I started my teaching career in 1996 when my youngest was a year old.  We saw our country attacked on 9/11/2001.  We have lost my mother, my dad, my step-mother, uncles and aunts, my nephew, friends.  Happily, we have gained new family members via marriage or birth.  We’ve seen children and grandchildren graduate and begin their adult lives.  In addition, we have had successful careers and we also changed careers. We have gone on vacations, celebrated holidays, enjoyed sporting events, attended weddings and funerals, and so much more. Gathering memories. We’ve pushed through grief and doubt and heartache to find love and joy in each other.  We have lived, and for that I am grateful.

Her at Twenty-Five

My daughter is an artist, creative beyond measure.  She is also kind, gentle, introverted (she likes to brag about this so it’s okay if I say it), smart, and brave.  Those that know her can attest to these qualities.  She has grown to be a remarkable young woman, and I look forward to seeing all she accomplishes in the next twenty-five years.  I just wanted to take a minute to acknowledge and appreciate her.  Happy birthday, sweetheart.