Tuesday, July 20, 2021

A Patient Mother

 Today is my birthday, so it's time to rerun a birthday post from the past. 

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I am thankful that I had a patient mother.


Today is my birthday which has me thinking about when I was a baby. Of course, I don't remember anything about my first year, but I have the stories I've been told.

Apparently, I was late in arriving. Very late. My mother had to wait three weeks past her due date for me to be born.  My parents sent my older sisters to stay with my grandmother in the next town when the event was eminent or so they thought. My sisters were there so long that my parents visited them on the weekends. My mother had made them a box of surprises for their stay with ribbons attached to a trinket that they got to choose everyday. However, the box emptied before they were back home. During what must have been a very miserable extra three weeks, I am thankful for my mother's patience for my arrival.
Me at 4 months. True to form, I had a cold in
one eye for this appointment.

My mother said that before I came she had time to clean the entire house and she even waxed the kitchen floor. She thought things would go smoothly with me. The house was in order and this was her third child, so she knew what she was doing. But then I came. And I cried. And cried. And cried. For the first six months, I cried so much that I burst a tear duct and herniated my naval. The neighbors used to take me in the car with them while they were delivering groceries to try to calm me. I am thankful for my mother's patience during the very noisy, exhausting time of when I was trying to settle into the world.

Soon after there was finally some quiet in the house (as much as you can have with a baby and two small children), I got pneumonia and was in the hospital for two weeks. The hospital was in another town and my mother spent all of her time with me while the rest managed somehow at home. Once I was back home, my oldest sister remembers the extra care that I still required. For my mother's patience while taking care of a sick baby, I am thankful.

Throughout the years, I have heard various stories about when I was a baby, but never did the stories come with any guilt or resentment. Just another story from my mother like the one when they had to call the fire department to get my sister's foot out of a drain. So for having had a very patient mother who gave me a great start to life despite how hard I made it for her, I am very thankful.

10 comments:

  1. What a sweet post. I'm glad you had a patient mother too! Have a very happy birthday!

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  2. Happy birthday! I hope you can do something you enjoy today.

    I notice that I am more appreciative of my mom when I come across situations similar to what she had to deal with. I took my daughter to a parking lot to have her practice being behind the wheel for the first time and then it hit me that she had to do that FOUR times!

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    1. My father didn't have the patience to teach us driving, so it was up to my mother. We always started in parking lot, too. Teaching your kids to drive can be nerve-racking. I think I have finally stopped riding the imaginary brake when riding with my sons who are now fine drivers.

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  3. Happy Birthday, June! Hope you and Mr. Cleaver have a great day.

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    1. Mr. Cleaver got up early and cooked me breakfast--not a typical thing for him. A great start to a good day.

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  4. Happy birthday, June! Wish you good health and happiness, today and everyday. :)

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  5. What a cute baby!
    Happy Birthday, June! Hope you and Ward have a fun celebration!
    That was a sweet testament to your mom's character.

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    1. I don't think that baby picture is particularly attractive, but it's all I've got--third child and all. :)

      I had to work yesterday, but we are planning a family celebration this weekend.

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