Birth Story

During my most recent telephone calls to my mother, the story of my birth has repeatedly been the subject of our conversation. Mom seems amazed that I shall be 68 years old on February 14^th. She is less amazed that she will be 91 years old on March 1^st.

Mom

In one of those telephone calls, Mom did a monologue of my birth story. Much of it I already knew; some, such as that I was do on February 7^th, I did not know.

According to the story (legend), there were a total of six baby boys delivered by the same physician on that Valentine’s Day. The maternity ward was so crowded that my mother’s labor took place in a bed placed in the hallway outside the award.

After all six babies were born, the physician said to the new mothers, “If I had known that you all wanted Valentines I would have sent you cards.”

Back in 1946, mothers and their newborns remain hospitalized for a week to 10 days after the birth. So I spent the first 10 days of my life in hospital with my mom.

Each time mom tells me the story, she ends with the words, “You were the best Valentine I have ever received.”

One of the oldest photos I have of myself:
being held by Nanna,
my maternal grandmother

Click below: just a smidgen to help us make it through the month