Celebrate!

Twenty-four years ago today, I was miserable from lack of sleep because I'd been having labor pains for three nights. Every time I would try to lie down and get some rest, the pains would start. When I got up, they would stop. I was exhausted.

Finally, at about 1:30 the morning of the 2nd, the pains came on in earnest, not stopping for anything. Twelve hours later, in the afternoon of October 2, 1985, Alex was delivered and my stint in the world of motherhood began.

It doesn't seem like 24 years. That geeky little kid in pink with thick-lensed glasses was just here a minute ago, as was the young woman who came back from Cotillion disgusted with the behavior of the wealthiest kids in town at the fanciest event in town. The angry adolescent who just screamed at me that I don't understand her just stomped up the stairs a few minutes ago, on the heels of the kindergartener who impressed a classmate enough for him to say, "Alex can do anything!"

It's been an amazing ride. All of those daughters of mine have merged into a hardworking and dedicated young woman whose enthusiasm for her passion, the theatre, knows no bounds. She's become thoughtful and mature. She can cook like my mother. She's found love in a quiet and extremely intelligent young man who loves her right back. She's expanded our family to include his family, too -- and they've opened their arms to include us in theirs.

I could not be prouder of her.

Tomorrow night we'll celebrate, along with Justin and his parents in Yellow Springs, along with Antioch alumni from all over the world who are congregating on campus to celebrate the rebirth of Antioch College. They'll ring the bells, light up the campus, have dinner under a tent (we're having dinner in a restaurant) and generally whoop it up, when they're not painting the library.

A new stamp honoring alumnus Rod Serling will be revealed there tomorrow by the U.S. Postal Service. They say that the campus is entering the "Twilight Zone," on its way to its new reality.

A good time will be had by all.

The AP released this story this afternoon:



http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jsYzqgNohSwzZzona8nUCgvdtW8wD9B2I7D80