Gratitude day #29
Today I am grateful for Miss Harmony.
A couple of people wondered why I hadn't included at the beginning of the month as I mentioned particular family members, which included her three brothers.
It's because today is her birthday!!! And, she deserves this day to commemorate her coming to earth.
Miss Harmony came along just a little over 2 1/2 years after oldest son Peter. She was five days late. Last night, I recalled that Saturday evening years ago when labor began. I thought it would be a breeze, for I had already given birth to Peter, who weighed 10 1/2 lbs.
No. Of all of my four children, Harmony's birth was the hardest, and the most intense. And, at that point in my life it was the closest I had come to death. I can still recall the doctor's words, "We're losing them both."
She was born in the wee hours of Sunday morning, with enough time for Kerry to call the bishop to announce her birth. Someone got the information wrong, and it was announced that she was 9 lbs. 12 oz., and was 12" long.
Length - 12"? That would be like a bowling ball.
I recall walking down the hall at the hospital to see her later that Sunday morning. As she lay all nestled in the bassinette, my eyes filled with tears and my heart was full. A daughter.
Just two weeks later she would play baby Jesus in the Church Christmas play.
Harmony held her own with three brothers. As my mother (oldest of a family of eleven brothers) used to say, "She doesn't have to be stronger. Just louder."
Harmony and I "get" each other. There were so many times when we just gave each other that knowing "look" without saying a word.
There was a time when she was a bit exasperated that her dad wasn't quite understanding something she was talking about. I got it perfectly. But, Kerry was still trying to grasp it. She looked at me with a look of "Mom! Can you help him?"
I took that time to help her understand that there really is a difference between men and women. It doesn't mean that one is right and one is wrong. We just have different ways of perhaps seeing things. Just be patient, lean in, and don't worry about it. It's a good opportunity for both sides to learn.
Harmony is a good daughter, and I am so grateful that I was not the only female in the house. Her childhood was one of frilly little dresses and overalls. Of doing hair together, and watching her scale a tv antenna. Of daddy/daughter dates, singing with her brothers, cooking, and watching her go into the US Army.
Happy birthday, Miss Harmony! We love you so...
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