27 Years
It was drama from the start.
On January 17, 1981, I was yanked from the comforts of my poor mother with forceps. A heart rate dip or something caused the doctor to panic and decided I needed to be born. right. NOW. At 1:49 am, I was. "He's a SHE," is what they told my anxious parents because, they'd been saying I was a boy. Can you imagine? ME a boy? Again, the heart rate or something.
The doctors had been wrong about me from the beginning. They'd put my due date 2 weeks earlier and so everyone said I was 2 weeks late. When I was born, they realized this was not the case.I was actually early. I was not late at all. I was not, in fact, a boy.
I was very scrawny and not cute at all. I weighed 6lbs 6oz, was 21 in long and was all beat up from my rough entrance. I had a black eye, black ear ("bruised and battered" is what my mom says) and was long and skinny. I was completely bald. I was until I was 2. I've seen pictures and it wasn't pretty. I wasn't pretty.
But, there I was. Mom was a mommy and Daddy was a daddy and we were a family. Mamaw and Papa were grandparents! Keith was an uncle (he hated it :) ). MawMaw Beverly and PawPaw Harry had a 4th grandchild and 2nd granddaughter. My Nanny Susan was a Nanny (my godmother) and an Aunt. I also was born with great-grandparents. PawPaw Danny (I was his first great-grandchild!), my Mamaw Emma's father, Mawmaw and PawPaw Peter who were my Papa's parents and Monzie who was my MawMaw Beverly's mom.
I've since lost some of these people and added so many. I've been surrounded by fabulous family and friends my entire life and I try very hard to be thankful for that all the time. It's what has kept me going in my darkest hours. The unconditional love of my family and true friends keeps me grounded, honest, happy, alive. It's the greatest gift. When I was young, I did not realize people didn't have family like I did.
In 27 years, I've been through a lot of things- good and bad. I've been baptized, been to the beach, made 99% on standardized testing for years, went to Disney World (twice!), moved out of my childhood home into a rent house, went into therapy, moved into my next home (in that order), went to a high school where I knew no one, smoked cigarettes, smoked other things (just pot!), flirted with boys, learned about death when Brett died, broke rules, got drunk, had fights with friends, acted in plays, had mono, dated Satan-on-earth, became a godmother, received real jewelry, became obsessed with shoes, was a cheerleader, had boyfriends, kissed boys, had my heart broken, cut off all my hair, got a car, been in wrecks, been suicidal, met the love of my life, visited someone in a jail, moved to another state, lived in an apartment, had no money, was a bridesmaid, went to concerts, gone on vacation in an RV, was married on a beach, been married for 4 1/2 years, been pregnant, miscarried, got a brand new car, was given diamonds, found my talents, lost my sweet Pawpaw Harry, spread someones ashes, been to a bowl game, owned designer handbags...
I'm leaving things out, I know. That's just an overview. Who knows what's next? I hope that in the next 27 years I: have children, buy a house, travel to more states, travel to more countries, loose weight, get healthier, own a pair of Louboutains (and maybe Choo's too), and a few more bags, have something I've written be published, go back to school, get season tickets to LSU football, go to more bowl games, own a bigger diamond, volunteer at a great place with children, get back into acting, get off all medication, throw great dinner parties, do things I'm hesitant of doing now.
Thank you to ALL of you! Thank you for reading, for commenting (if you read and don't comment, comment today!!), and encouraging!! I appreciate it so much. Thanks to those of you who have sent me E-Cards or birthday wishes via email.
XOXO,
Kristen
Labels: birthdays, me
