Awesome Birthday Present

Today is my 50th birthday and I got a very special letter today from a woman who hates to write letters -- my Mom!

Here it is:

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On your 50th birthday, you get a special letter from me, reminiscing about your early years. I have some different memories of 1956. First, you caused me to wear support hose for the first time. Also, you were due on February 29th, but thank goodness, you came a day early. You also gave me (us?) an extra time in the hospital -- eleven days in all, due to a blood clot in my left leg. During the hospital stay, Bill and the two boys had to move everything from our old place to the brand new house in Ypsilanti. Come to think of it, we made a habit of moving when you were in the hospital.*

When you were born, you didn't have much of an appetite and only nursed for a couple of minutes, then fell asleep. The nurse came in and insisted that you should be eating more than that. So she snapped her fingers on your feet to wake you up. You did nurse a bit longer, then threw up all over me and the bed!

You took advantage of trying to keep up with your brothers. When I would be helping the boys with their school work, especially reading, you would sneak behind the sofa and watch over our shoulders. You read rather well become you started school. Your kindergarten teacher scolded me for pressing you to learn at too early an age. She wanted me to lock up the books so you wouldn't get to them. Imagine! This was at a lab school, too!

You also developed, preschool, your fine motor skills. In drawing, you would start in the middle of a page and fill it with closely spaced wiggly lines. I'm so sorry I didn't manage to save an example.

You children amaze me. You are so different in personality and interests, and you are all wonderful. Thank you for following your own path as well!

Love, Mom

Isn't that the coolest?

*Note: I was in a coma at age 6 as a result of German measles that turned into encephalitis. During the two weeks I was out of it, the family moved from one house to another. It became a standing joke that the family had to move whenever I ended up hospitalized.)