I have one niece. Only one. Shelley is a beautiful, smart woman who has made her way well into this world. She is living near her parents with her boyfriend. She is the real writer of the family.
Today is her birthday.
I will never forget the day she was born. We got the call that Lee was in labor but there was no hurry to get to the hospital. We all were worried about her giving birth as she really did not tolerate pain well and labor is, well, labor.
We sang at the evening Mass as usual then headed down to await her arrival. The waiting room was full. This was in the days when no one was allowed in the birthing room except for short periods of time. Our mom was pacing. She was in agony. She so wished that she could relieve some of the pain for Lee.
The funny part is that Lee totally surprised us all. She had a completely natural childbirth! Lee! It was just a preamble to our later discovery that she is one strong person.
When Shelley was born, she was placed in front of the window for all of us to see her. We all felt that it was quite the opposite as she clearly was checking each one of us out, almost like a checklist: Grandparents – check. Uncles – check. Aunt – check. She was very clear eyed. Very present.
She was also the most beautiful child every born. A true Gerber baby.
Moments afterwards, we got to see Lee. She was sitting up in bed feeling great. She looked fantastic. As Shelly’s father’s brother’s girlfriend – gotta read that again! - went in for a quick visit with us, Michael noticed that she began to sway. He ran around Lee’s bed quickly enough to catch her before her head hit the floor as she fainted. Later, she said she had huge bruises on her arms where he had grabbed her.
We lived so far apart and we all had busy lives yet I wish I could have been more present in Shelley’s life. One of my few regrets.
Happy Birthday, Shelley. xoxo
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