Birthday

On March 2, 1964 a 25-year old woman experienced labor pains late at night. She told her 23-year old husband that it was time to go to the hospital. They were teachers at the school system in Paullina, Iowa. She taught Kindergarten, and he taught High School English. She wasn’t sure if she could keep teaching when she became pregnant, but the principal said the little kids wouldn’t notice what was happening to her body. As others did at the time, she didn't have to quit her job because of her pregnancy.

The farm fields of Northwest Iowa experienced a beautiful day on March 2, 1964. A storm was forecast, though. So a little before midnight the two set off for a ten mile drive to Primghar, Iowa. They were going to the hospital. The driver of the car has never functioned well late at night, AND he grew up on a farm in Iowa. He had witnessed plenty of births on a farm, but somehow got confused about where a baby human is born. He drove to the Nursing Home in Primghar, Iowa. Even farm boys from Iowa can eventually figure out that babies aren’t born in a Nursing Home, so he drove to the local hospital. She checked in and went into labor around midnight.

Her labor went well. Her husband wasn’t allowed in the delivery room, so he waited anxiously in the waiting room. Around 1:00 p.m. on March 3, 1964 he was told that he had a son. He walked into his wife’s hospital room and saw his new son lying on his wife’s stomach. As he saw his new son, he was told the name of his new boy. “His name is Paul Harris,” his wife said. He agreed. Who is going to argue with a woman who just spent 13 hours in labor and was originally driven to a Nursing Home?

The middle name is the mother’s maiden name. The two didn’t know if their child would be a boy or a girl. The other boys’ name they had discussed was Thomas.

This is my story, and it’s one I’m celebrating today, 46 years later.

My daughter, Hannah, surprised me this morning with a beautiful sign to start out my day! As I wrote on my Facebook page last week, I get to share life with two beautiful red heads and I am working at my dream job. What else do I need? Life is good.