Truths I Want To Tell You Before I Lose My Marbles To Motherhood

I've been thinking of how much more forgetful I am than usual since I've been pregnant with you, Mini... no doubt that whatever nature us doing to make chicken noodle soup smell like hunting boot socks and my dreams so possessively real these days is the likely culprit.  Hormones can be such temperamental little gremlins!

Since I currently have a bit more restful pondering-time than I believe I will once you arrive in our world, I'd like to mindfully take the time to relate some of the things that I've promised myself I'd impart to our children before I lose sight of this intention during the everyday dance of caring for a very New You.

So, without further ado:

Ten Things I'd Like For You To Know

1. Your daddy is the most handsome man I've ever seen.  When I first saw him (or rather, spied on him!) at work, just watching his smile illuminate his face was like watching lightning bugs come out for the first time in the summer.  He seemed so polished and outgoing, I could hardly envision him having as much interest in me as I did in him.  Good thing Mommy likes a challenge, otherwise you wouldn't be here.  The poor man never knew what hit him.  I'll teach you how to do that later.
2. I wanted you a long time ago, but my timing wasn't God's timing.  I made some foolish choices in my youth and as a result lived very far away from home, away from the people who truly care for me. In retrospect, I can see why He wanted you to be born here and in this time of my life.  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  ~ Isaiah 55:8
3. As a result of the aforementioned turbulent period, I was living in Manhattan during the 9/11 attacks.  I was 19 years old, and I declare that I've never been as nerve-shattered before or since.  Fear aside, it was a fascinating time to be living in New York in the wake of that terrible event -- I saw some of the most generous and considerate human behavior in the days that followed.  One day I'll show you the pictures I took of the gathering I attended in Union Square the week after.  I'll pass them down to you when you're old enough to appreciate them.
4. Your great-great PawPaw Of The Mountains (or Thomas Henry Yarbrough, for the genealogists out there) bit your Uncle Daniel once.  It was your Uncle Daniel's fault for wanting to stick his finger in PawPaw's mouth, though.  I was there, and let me tell you... It.  Was.  Awesome.

My late great-grandparents Thomas Henry and Maggie Pearl Yarbrough...and some shy dog

5.  Choose your pets with wisdom considering your situation in life, and don't just feed and water    them -- enjoy them.  They'll never complain about you (except for cats, occasionally....AHEM, Miss Daphne!) or tell you that you just paid way too much for a stupid haircut.  They teach you how to be constant in love and how to be merciful and empathetic when facing injury or death.  I can't imagine what I would've done during the loneliest times of my life if it hadn't been for my pets.
6.  You're made of some tough genetic material -- a gift handed down from the women from both sides of your family.  They've survived broken backs, broken hearts, tornadoes, brain-frying viruses, painful diseases, poverty, and scores of children birthed in close succession.  Many have farmed well into their eighties, taken care of who needed taken care of without complaining, and put a fresh fella or two in their place with a swift kick when it was necessary to remind them how to treat a lady.  Keep your chin up and don't take no mess.  It's your birthright.
7.   I got to sing at Carnegie Hall not once, but twice.  It's not as big as you'd think, but it's nontheless a breathtaking space.  My favorite of the two performances was a goodwill concert following 9/11 hosted by The Netherlands, which featured a real princess from their country and New York City policemen and firefighters singing with my choir (the Young People's Chorus of New York) under the baton of Skitch Henderson.  The finale from that evening, "You'll Never Walk Alone", still makes me tear up.
8.   You have a predisposition to love ice cream.  This might explain your predisposition to diabetes.  Watch your sugar, hon.
9.   Your parents love each other devotedly and truly enjoy one another's company.  We've weathered a lot of tough stuff from the beginning of our relationship, and we know without a shadow of a doubt we wouldn't have made it through such times without one another.  Be assured that when the hooey hits the fan, we know how to stick together and hold you inside that safety. 
10.   And finally, redheads can wear pink.  Anyone who tells you otherwise is a self-righteous fashion Nazi.   

Don't listen to the haters, sweetheart.



That'll cover it for now, little one.  I'll tell you some more stories and tidbits as I scribble along.