Take a deep breath. You have been pushing hard for a very long time. I know you are exhausted. Stop for one more second. Gather your strength for the final push. One last time and it will all be over. I know there have been a number of contractions and this has caused you much pain. Don't worry. You have shown more strength and fortitude then anyone knew you had. It is now time. In just a moment you will be giving birth to the next President of the United States.
The next cry we hear will be one of pure joy from the collective voice of the new parents of the ruler of our country. It will be the sound of proud parents who have survived a gestation period unlike any known to man. Cigars will be handed out, backs will be patted and smiles will be in abundance. Overcoming incredible odds that suggested this day was never a possibility (either (a) because we knew this birth had never happened before and we were not ready for it to happen yet or(b) because we were told that the path to the delivery had proven too difficult and all the experts agreed it could not happen) our new baby will be unlike any other before it.
Who takes almost 2 years to go from conception to birth? What parent can be tested so repeatedly over such an extended period and not feel like every ounce of strength has been wrung from their body?
The average gestation period for humans is 266 days, 8 days short of 9 months. The average period for certain mammals ( and one bird) is as follows:
Finch- 11-14 days
American opossum-- 12-13 days
Baboon- 187 days
Ass- 365 days
Giraffe - 420- 450 days
Sperm whale - 480-500 days ( it takes a very long time to give birth to something so huge)
Nothing compares with what we have just gone through. We will very soon be in the Guinness Book of world records.
I sit here now at 4:15 AM an expectant parent, unable to sleep , thinking of what the past 22 months have brought and what this birth will mean to not only me but to all of us. Like every parent of a new born, I wait to count the fingers and the toes, to hope and pray that the baby will be intact and whole and will be able to accomplish all the great feats that we know he can. We know he has the capacity to lead us all to a better time and place. We know he will have, in his tiny hands, the power to shape and mold all of us. His future is our future.
Like any newborn, there may be missteps along the way. He may be unsteady in the beginning. There will be obstacles placed in his path that he will have to overcome. But we know in our hearts that he will have the strength and determination to persevere and triumph.
We have been part of a great miracle. It is finally here. It is the moment of birth. Enjoy it.
1 comment:
One of the first things I do every morning is read your blog. It's not every woman who gets into her son-in-law's head so easily! So far, we are in agreement both politically and morally- but watch your step! "Ya know what I'm sayin?"
Since we both love the same girl, and as A is to B as B is to C that means that I love you ,too.
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