The month of April is almost over for 2022. As I pondered my usual “what shall I write about this week” question, several ideas came to mind but I quickly dismissed them. The topics I thought about would only cause me internal angst….maybe upset some people who don’t think and believe like I do…or fell into the category of “you already wrote about that…” As I sat down to my laptop to check email, banking sites, etc. my thoughts wandered to the month of April as I also addressed a birthday card for a family member. As I wrote out a greeting to her, I realized how many birthdays we celebrate in the month of April alone. These days of celebration span a few decades and each person whose special day falls in this beautiful early spring month is a special and unique person in our family. The first ones that come to memory are two uncles who actually shared the same birthday, April 1. They are Uncle Virgil–or Bud–as I called him. Secondly, Uncle Lyle. Both men were older brothers to my dad. Born several years apart, they were also very different from one another. Uncle Bud worked many jobs raising his large family; Uncle Lyle was a career officer in the U.S. Air Force, a fighter pilot in World War II. Lyle had a large family, too. I wasn’t particularly close to my Uncle Bud…I got to know Uncle Lyle better as an adult when his retirement from Service allowed more visits back to Michigan. In 1987 we visited him when he lived in Sacramento and I was able to fly out to say my goodbyes when cancer was taking him from us.

Next on my “top list” is my husband. He was born April 7, arriving early weighing 3 lbs. 3 ounces, with a hernia and club feet to challenge his doctors in 1956. Both ailments were corrected and he thrived with no further complications. His brother Paul joined the family on April 10. Though he was fine at birth it was Paul who caused my in-laws to make numerous visits to the ER due to injuries associated with being a kid at play. He’s also the one my husband fed worms to while Mom K. did some gardening in the yard. Youngest brother John arrived on April 30. He had to be delivered by C-section due to the size of his head. He was more of the jokester of the three…loved babies and kids…could be fairly precocious himself…as an adult gave everyone a nickname and took on the beloved title “the baby whisperer”. He left us way too soon a few years ago….I hate cancer (that’s another topic for another day).

Our first granddaughter was born April 6–opening day of baseball season that year! (to the delight of her dad who is an avid Boston Red Sox fan). She needed some help getting here, too, so an emergency C-section ushered her into all the loving arms waiting for her, us, grandparents on her daddy’s side, aunts, uncles. She’s 7 now and continues to amaze us with her kindness, charm, insight, and how hard she loves everyone.

Our second granddaughter came on April 2. Because her momma is a Type I diabetic, her birth was scheduled. She was born in 2020 when Covid was at the top of the list for the most dangerous threats to society. We were able to  meet her once she got home. This beautiful two year old has the most infectious smile, loves hard, and is affectionately called “Siss” or my fav to hear from her momma, “Sissy Britches”. I am excited to see how she continues to develop who she is as a uniquely created little girl.

My oldest brother’s wife celebrates her birthday on April 20. She came into our family when I was 14 and became an older sister in many ways. I thought it was so cool to have a brother get married when I was that age, be in their wedding and later become an aunt to their three daughters! Stacey, their oldest, was born April 22. She’s now 54 which absolutely blows my mind. She’s more like a little sister now. Our phone conversations always last at least an hour. The youngest daughter, Erin, came along on April 29, 11 years younger than her older sister. I can remember being told about the pregnancy by Stacey, thinking my dear niece was daydreaming or spinning a yarn…nope, baby Erin was born, joining our growing family and was a delight to all. 

These special April birthdays span from the 1920s to the 2000s. Much has changed how babies come into our world…two uncles born at home on the family farm…hospital deliveries either with the natural order of labor pains or surgical intervention….waiting for delivery to “see” what the baby was to today’s technology of ultrasound which reveals the precious gender so names can be chosen, rooms prepared, parties to shower each newborn with the appropriate clothing and accessories. 

Psalm 127 has a verse that reads: “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”  My grandmother, who was the mother to my dad and his 10 siblings always said that children were precious…every single one…She was able to say that of her own 12 (one preemie death)…and eventually the 50+ grandchildren that came from her 11 children. She had a lot of wisdom, tremendous and ample love to give to her very large family. She alone, along with grandpa, had to wear several quivers in my opinion to hold all of her “precious arrows”. Although my personal quiver doesn’t need to be as large compared to hers to hold my blessings, it has been a  special honor to have added arrow after arrow each time “new life” was born. Not sure what the next 20 years will look like, but I’m certainly open to adding some more April birthdays when other special blessings come my way, Lord willing.