Here we are. Living in the holy city of Charleston, South Carolina. Married a little over a year and a half. I’m now an Air Force captain. Marjorie is a psychiatric nurse, working at the Medical College of Charleston ( now MUSC). It’s late Tuesday afternoon and we were both at home. Home, by the way, was the Courtenay Apartments , just about a block from Roper Hospital. It’s March 15, 1966, a scary, wonderful day that changed our lives forever. This is not unique. The arrival of your first born changes your lives forever.

Marjorie told me it was time to go to the hospital. That was good cause I was as dumb as a door about childbirth. So we took a short walk ( like across the street) to the hospital. ( We did call her obstetrician and told him we’re heading his way). During the very short walk, we laughed a bunch, totally clueless about the quantum change in our routine.
Marjorie brought a book to read cause she thought she’d have plenty of time to read during her labor. Wrong!! First symptom of labor. 5:30 pm. 8:21 pm there was a baby girl 6 lbs 4 oz, 19 inches. Fast labor, not much pain, according to Marjorie. Way too quick and easy. Not necessarily a good sign for future pregnancies. We discovered that a few years later.

As a baby, Christine, you were an angel. You were so good and easy to care for, that you conned us into thinking parenthood was a snap. This is so easy. Let’s have another. So, you can thank yourself for never remembering being a spoiled, only child. LOL. Your brother, Jim, showed up less than a year after your birthday. Unlike you, he scared the hell outta us. ( Already told his story in a post called “The Longest Day” a while ago. Can’t repeat myself cause you’ll think I’m old. LOL).

When you came home with us you continued to be the perfect baby.
I’ve told this story before, so bear with this old man. But it’s a perfect example of why mom and I were not “Parents of the Year”. One afternoon, while you were a sweet baby asleep in your crib, we were in the kitchen chatting. I looked at the newspaper and saw that a movie we wanted to see was playing at a local theater. I said, “Hey Margie, let’s go to the movie. It starts in about 30 minutes”. We went out, hopped in the car and started to head to the movie. At the end of the block, I said something like, “Sheeit, we can’t go to a movie. We got a beautiful baby asleep in her crib.” A quick 180 and we were back in the house acting like perfect parents. You were so easy, we kinda forgot we had you for a moment.

Now, let’s make a long story very short. You grew into a beautiful, young woman. Always a great daughter, good student and all around good person. (Sound familiar?). Move the clock ahead a very short 27 years or so. You were in Illinois and working very hard in the role of single parent to a beautiful baby boy you named Joshua. You made a decision which brightened the lives of mom and me for our whole lives ahead. You and Josh were moving to Charleston. Mom and I were getting the chance to fulfill parental and grand parental relationships for the foreseeable future. An opportunity I hope we accomplished satisfactorily.
Another 30 years have passed. Did we pass muster? Enuf for now.