Dates matter. Especially the older I get, the more I attach connections, memories, and stories to dates. People say to leave the past in the past, and that is true for some experiences, but not all.
Today, I’m imagining what my mother was thinking and feeling 70 years ago, knowing that she would bring me home from the hospital the next day on her 2nd child’s 8th birthday. I was a 2 1/2 pound preemie born in the 1950s. Since my mother had 3 children at home, the hospital allowed her to bring me home earlier than normal. I did not yet weigh five pounds. My sister always said I was HER birthday present that year.
This has been a year of hospitalizations for my sister. Her health has measureably declined fairly rapidly. Today was our first outing that wasn’t a doctor appointment since September. Bright sunshine, warmer temperatures, a cute, little family-owned restaurant (The Wild Tomato), and time with my two older sisters was pretty darn great. We laughed, shared memories, told stories, and didn’t mention allergists, neurologists, or any other kind of doctor.
She helped care for me when I was tiny, and now I am able to help her. It’s a privilege I don’t take lightly.
Thank you to all who make this writing space
a place of safety, support, and beauty.
pelicansandprose 
Thanks for bringing us into this moment of joy (and for sharing the recent pain that makes the joy even greater). Here’s to many more outings like this with your sisters.
Thank you for your kind comment.
This post on dates comes full circle with the thread of sisterly love at its core. I feel the gravity and levity in your words. Wishing you more “Wild Tomato” sliceable moments.
I always knew you were special. Reading of your arrival into the world in this slice, seems you are more of a miracle. Arriving so small at a time when I’m assuming we didn’t know as much about supporting premies. But you had your sisters to help. And as Cindy said, your slice today comes full circle as you help your sister. Happy belated birthday!