May 24, 2013
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Through Another's Eyes (link fixed)
"Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant?" Thoreau
I saw this short film and was reminded of another day, many years ago.
July 2, 1997
We were just kids, excited, apprehensive, headed to the maternity ward to have our second child. The elevator doors opened and a young man stepped off pushing a woman, apparently his wife, in a wheelchair. Their expressions were grim, her face ashen and devoid of emotion. As we were getting Tina set up in her room and wondering aloud what had happened, the orderly filled us in. They had just left the maternity ward. She had had to come in to deliver her almost full term baby who had died in utero. For a moment I gazed into a chasm of empty hopelessness and was very afraid. Then the moment passed, and we were back to the business of preparing for the arrival of our little one. It has haunted me for years. Their child would be 16 this July.
Our Samantha will turn 16 this July 2.
Comments (6)
What a powerful video! And I'm glad that you were not that couple leaving the hospital ~ ~ ~ This strikes me as an excellent sensitivity training video, whether for emotional stress, racism, general customer service, or other differences in people one deals with every day! Thanks for sharing it, and for tying it to your own experience.
I have a neighbor who sometimes drinks a bit too much. I learned that she lost a baby girl in an accident years ago. Now I wonder how she can ever stop drinking.
My daughter too arrived July 2 and we were expecting the midwife to deliver her. Instead my daughter beat the midwife by seconds and I handed my daughter umbilical cord still connected to my wife to open the door for the midwife.
I wonder have you ever figured out whether or not children usually are born exactly in between the birthdays of the parents? My first daughter was born December 24 and my wife's birthday is in June 14 and mine is July 26. December is pretty close to the middle between our birthdays and the Second daughter is in the middle of the space on the other side.
Sadness and hardship have their share in our life . But I feel what you felt .It is difficult to suffer and die in the place of those who have undergone before us and around our daily.
We can only share the most and have compassion.and also pray .
In friendship
Michel
@PPhilip - My kids were all born on Mondays, two in November, one in February, and one in May. My birthday's in September and their mother's is in October.
That is a haunting memory. My ex had a miscarriage on her first pregnancy. It made the others very sobering when that 12-week point arrived.