Midnight Mary

Today is the first day in Rochester that we can all wear shorts. Thank God.

Today is also the 25th birthday of my youngest daughter Mary.

Mary was born at midnight so it's always hard for me to figure out which day that was as midnight I  can go either way so I celebrate for two days and even that is nowhere near enough.

The hospital listed her birth at 11:58 but I noticed that the clock in the delivery room was a few seconds past mindnight when the antenna emerged. I joked to the delivery doctor that we just made it for the extra day in the hospital. About an hour later, I discovered that they had declared her birth at 11:58. Around here, you get two days in the hospital for a birth. Because they listed the birth at 11:58, they counted that whole day as a biirth day which meant in reality we got one day and two minutes of hospital service.

Bastards

Capitalists etc.

Two minutes which weren't legitimate in the first place.

I know she was born at midnight. I have video to prove it but didn't bother to fight  the bureuacracy in the midst of such joy.

So Midnight Mary came into being wearing an antenna on her head. The doctors were monitoring her heartbeat in the womb and had attached a heart beat monitor to her head which looked like an antenna when she emerged at Midnight.

Yeah

25 years ago.

Now flash back four months ago right after the biopsy. I learned I had cancer and bone scans would determine how far it had spread. The interim of waiting for the bone scan results was the most "spirtitual" time of my life.

I was ready to go if go I must but I prayed to be around to celebrate the birthday of Midnight Mary and to be wearing shorts while celebrating.

I prayed for this day right here

My prayers were sincere

So pardon me while I celebrate

And forget all sorrow

Today is  worth the wait

And so is tomorrow.