Rozelia, what a wonderful, sweet, inviting name for a little girl. That is my first grandchild’s name. It makes you immediately think of the smell of a rose. It did take me awhile to learn the spelling and say it correctly.
I was there in the hospital on the day of her birth. May 8, 2008. I had driven most of the night from Atlanta. I was tired and too late for her entrance into the world. But, it turns out that I was not needed. They had everything under control.
I have been thinking about how this experience is so common to most every grandparent or parent. No big deal? After all it has happened billions of times. But even though it is a very common event to the world it is an uncommon event to a grandparent. Even if your a grandparent 7 times 7.
I just don’t see how this could ever become boring, or considered to be uneventful.
The hospital was new. Everything was perfect. It seemed like there was nothing happening anywhere. All the action was inside those heavy double doors. Down the halls in separate rooms with lots of acoustical padding.
My daughter went El Natural. No meds. She also did not have a doctor. No it was a midwife. The midwife was also the photographer. Hey! Smile! Click! OK, lets see if we can get that little thing out of there! I imagined that scene. I imagined this because, my daughter band the use of a video camera. Just stills. A real disappointment for me. Not that I needed to see another child birth video. No, I have edited and duplicated way to many of those for it to be a thrill or deer staring – you cannot turn away type of event.
But I have seen and edited enough to know that this is one of the videos that families really like to watch. The kids especially. Wow, that is me! Cool. Now if my daughters intent was to band photos of the unmentionable body parts, the mid wife did not comply. So they only thing lacking are the sounds associated with the first cry, the people’s reactions in the room and some moaning and growing of course.
Well that is over now. It is what it is.
My daughter is visiting this week. I told her about this blog and she told me that she is still so pleased with just the still photos that were put into a slideshow with the music – the first time I saw your face. She said that audio from the movie is what would bother her the most. Ok, I was not there but I have seen two natural child births and watched lots of strangers on movies when asked to edit them. What she is not taking into account is that in the final edited home movie, audio is only used when someone makes a comment that is worthy of mention. Dad, saying “its a boy”, “look at the … on him”, you know the things that you never want to forget.”
We, that is my X (Carolyn) and I, don’t have video of our kids being born. It was not as far as I can remember a conscious decision. We just did not think of it. I do not recall any photos either. But now, at this age, I am hording any mementos that may bring back a memory. Not sure why, but for some reason they are now very important. It is a phenomena. No logical explanations, nothing life/death, nothing that will alter the future of the planet. All I know is they are important to me.
Check out the movie Final Cut. It is an interesting, futuristic look into how we might improve our memories.
Maybe it is because these 60 years have seemed to have passed without living them. Did I, was I really here, did I really do those things? Ever had that feeling on a long drive that you cannot remember how you got to this present position? Like the last four hours did not really exist.
Welcome to this world, Rozelia. You are so lucky to have a great mother and dad. Paw Paw Bear too. Love you!
Barry
