31 years ago....

....i was big as a house, and wondering how much longer i'd have to wait to meet the passenger inside my body!

my son was born 2/22/84 after 36 hours of birthing (he was a frank breech, which means ass first; a long, slow labor without the head pushing first), and has matured into a hard-working, happily-married, wonderful person--not to mention a great father!

the biggest gift of motherhood thus far has been the delight of knowing my grandson.  i was an ambivalent mother, deeply in love with my son but also still "looking for love," as the babyfather and i couldn't make our connection to each other stick.  (we are still good friends, and he's been a wonderful father to our son.)

choices i made in those early years of parenting still fill me with remorse.  i'm getting better at forgiving myself, AND i still shake my head over some of my mistakes.

at any rate, i'm blessed beyond words to have my grandson 12 hours a week.  and one day recently, when that grandson did something completely awesome, my son said to me, "Don't forget, you're one of the reasons he's so amazing."

no greater gift.