November 19, 2003 I saw Red.

Dear Lord, Thank you for this day, thank you for the food that you have given us, may it be a nourishment to our bodies. Bless the hands that prepared it. Please keep our family, friends and us safe throughout the nights and days to come. I pray that you will keep Memaw well. Please forgive us our sins. Amen.

This was my usual nightly prayer, but one night, when thinking of the bulge in my belly, probably because she was kicking me, I added......Lord, please let this baby be a girl....a healthy baby girl...we just want her to be healthy....Amen....and please God, .....don't let her have RED hair. Amen.......Okay, I just want her to be healthy, but if she HAS to have RED hair, Lord, then please let her have beautiful blue eyes, like Pepaw. Amen......but, God, PLEASE don't let her have red hair. Amen.

Fast forward a few months later.......

"Okay, mom, here she comes.....one more push....goooood.....okay....you have a beautiful baby girl and she has........blonde hair!!! (blonde? Cool! Weird, but cool).....no, wait (?)......actually, it's red!"

"Red?!!! Are you sure?" (I mean, there's gook and stuff, I'm sure she just needs a bath!)

"Yep, it's definitely red, strange, huh?...congratulations!"

Then, that little red-headed girl was laid on my chest.....she looked up at me with the bluest-eyes and hair the color of golden silk. My precious, red-headed, blue-eyed baby girl. Healthy and blue-eyed...... because.......she had red hair. Just the way I had ordered her. That God, he's a funny guy.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA LOU!!!! I love you.