where did i come from?

As I recall, I was about 4 years old, and my brother was 6-1/2 years old, and we were precariously perched on our kitchen stools, waving our arms excitedly as we explained to my Mom where we came from. She was the instigator of this moment, as she had just asked us, “Do you remember where you came from?”

Without skipping a beat, we told her, breathlessly, about how we were together before we were born. We were best friends, and we talked about how we wanted to be brother and sister, and how we chose our parents. We decided that my brother would be born first. I was too scared to go, so he would go first and be there for me when I arrived. I described how sad I was when he left. He chimed in and said, “But, I told Summy not to worry, because we would see each other soon!”

He then described how he slid down this very long tunnel, and it was so much fun, until he landed in Mommy’s tummy where he had to wait for awhile. He got a little frustrated having to wait so long to be born. He was restless, and things got really uncomfortable, until one day he popped out into the light, happy to be free at last! (This is his personality to “T.” He was born so fast the doctor didn't have time to prepare. Hyper-intelligent and hyper-creative, he’s always ready for the next adventure. )

I, on the contrary, spoke of my reluctance to slide down that tunnel, and when I finally did, I felt kind of scared and out of control (but, it was also kind of fun). At long last I landed safely in Mommy’s tummy, all snuggled up and warm. I could feel her love for me, and I had no intention of ever leaving that cozy womb. I did a lot of sleeping. However, one day I could feel myself being pushed out, and I resisted that movement with all my might. I was sad and scared as I came into the world, wondering why I’d been ripped from my beautiful sanctuary. (I was a 10 month baby.) But, then I described how happy I was to see my brother again, and how that made everything okay. 

My Mom’s eyes were wide in wonder as we shared our stories so naturally.

I had a wonderful childhood, and my brother and I were together all the time. In our adulthood, for the past 20 years he has called me every Sunday afternoon to catch up.

This memory came to me this morning as I soaked in the tub on my 61st birthday. I thanked God and my parents for giving me life, and sang Happy Birthday to Me. How blessed I have been.

Thank you to all who are reading this, for being such an important part of my journey. Your messages of love, and support of my work with Dr. Peebles have given my life purpose and meaning. God bless you, indeed!