A PEARL OF A GIRL!!

October 26, 2021

 Dear Pearl, 

     You have arrived! A lady always knows how to make an entrance and boy! did you ever make an entrance! You are so worth the wait! 

     Your mom and dad arrived at the hospital about 8:00 P.M. on Thursday night. The next morning, after a good breakfast and shower, the nurses begin the medicine that would start the process leading to your birth. At first, nothing really happened. Pap and I arrived in the parking lot about 11:00 A.M. We had spent the night at a hotel in Florence, Kentucky, but because of Covid restrictions, we could not go to the waiting room, so your daddy put a pink bag in the window to indicate exactly where he and your mom were staying in the hospital. They were on the top floor, and we were in the open-air top floor of the parking garage; however, we could only see your parents with our binoculars when they waved from the window. They were that far away, but it was easier than waiting in Tennessee! Uncle Jay, Aunt Christy, and Emily arrived about 3:00 that afternoon. They all played “hooky” from school and drove up so they could be close by as well. We waited and waited, but still, nothing happened! About 6:00, we decided to go eat some “real” food although we had snacked all day. Uncle Jay suggested Longhorn’s Steakhouse, and when your daddy found out, he requested that we bring him back a plate. Still, nothing happened! 

     About 10:00 P.M., Emily began running laps in the parking lot to stay awake! At that point, her parents decided to return to the hotel and wait the night there. Pap and I continued to sit there, but the weather had turned really nasty, and since the parking lot was fairly isolated, we decided about 11:00 P.M. that the hotel would be a safer place to wait. Your daddy promised to call when something happened. 

    Saturday morning when I woke up about 5:30 A.M. – no text – no phone call. Still, nothing had happened. I tried to call, but your daddy didn’t answer the phone. I called Grammie – nope – she hadn’t heard either, so I did the only thing I knew to do – I prayed. “Please God – Please God – Please God.” Those were my only words. A few minutes later, as I was taking a shower and repeating that prayer, I heard a voice in my head and heart: “It’s gonna be okay – it will be okay.” And I knew then, without a doubt, it would be. 

     With any luck, you will never know first-hand any of the limitations, frustrations, or grief caused by a pandemic. Hopefully, Covid 19 will be only a period in history that your parents will tell you about like my parents told me about the Great Depression. As you get older, you will learn many of the details surrounding your birth. Because of Covid, instead of a waiting room full of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, the satellite was kept busy pinging away with updates that zoomed all over the air waves from Cincinnati to Chapel Hill, Caney Spring, Franklin, and Laws Hill. People who love your parents were praying and anxiously waiting for each update. Your daddy finally let us know about 8:00 A.M. that he and your mom had been asleep! The doctor had been in and given them the choice of “waiting it out” or going ahead with a C-Section. They were ready to see you, so they said C-Section. It was a long three hours! Finally, about 11:00 A.M. the text came through “Welcome to the world, Pearl Lyn Brown! 8 lbs. 3 oz. 20 inches long.” You were born at 9:55 A.M. on Saturday, October 23 and waves of joy and prayers of thanks spread like a blooming flower from Cincinnati to Middle Tennessee!

     Pap and I were allowed in the hospital one at a time to hold you on Saturday afternoon. Uncle Jay, Aunt Christy, nor Emily was allowed in due to Covid restrictions. Since you were born on Saturday, you did not get to leave the hospital on Sunday as we had hoped; therefore, they didn’t even have the opportunity to see you at your house. In spite of that small disappointment, we all agree that foremost you have arrived, you are healthy, and our prayers have been answered. 

     Today is Tuesday. Pap and I are back home. Uncle Jay, Aunt Christy, and Emily are back at school. You are going to your house today where a beautiful brand-new nursery awaits your arrival. You won’t really care about that. That’s for your parents. You have a closet full of clothes waiting too. You won’t care about that either. All you care about right now is that you are warm and full and dry. Your parents will make sure that you have those necessities. They will also make sure that you grow up knowing “You is kind; you is smart; you is important” (The Help). And most of all – we will all make sure that you grow up knowing that you are loved! Welcome to the family!

 I love you, 

BB

   

FOR NOW WITH EMILY

October 4, 2021

 Dear Emily, 

 The school year usually breaks down into quarters – fall break, Christmas break, spring break, summer vacation. And then it starts all over until you graduate and real life begins unless your chosen profession is teaching. Then your adult life will break down into quarter divisions as well. Currently, you are on fall break. You and your parents have taken a short trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Technology has allowed me to follow your journey through pictures, and you all appear to be having an amazing time. Last year on fall break, you toured St. Louis, Missouri and rode to the top of the arch – the Gateway to the West. I’m really excited that your parents have chosen to take you places where you can learn about the history of this remarkable country. Going to the beach is fun, but there’s so much more to see in the United States than the beach. Since you took a beach vacation in the summer, your parents are wisely introducing you to other places: spending time with you, teaching you, and having fun with you all at the same time. You are creating some delightful memories. 

 A few weeks ago, I bought you a set of clothes – size ten. To my dismay, the ten fit perfectly – too perfectly. I should have gotten a size twelve. Luckily, I was able to exchange the outfit, but it hurt my heart. Ten, although double digits, still feels young. You’re still my little girl. But twelve? Twelve is on the cusp of “teen.” I want to stop time, hold back the clock, and say “Wait.” I’m not ready for you to be a teenager with all the drama that goes along with those years. But ready or not – here it comes! That’s why I think your parents are wisely spending great quality time with you now – they too know those years are quickly coming. Soon you will become more and more involved with friends and activities, and time with your parents will become more and more difficult to squeeze in. Time is precious, so they are making the most of it.

 I want to make the most of it too. I want to spend as much time as I am allowed with you because I know the day is soon coming when spending the night at BB’s won’t be nearly as much fun for you as hanging out with your friends! And that’s the way it should be. That’s part of growing up. But for now, when you spend the night, it’s you, me, and Horsey in the bed together! For now, after gymnastics, it’s driving all the way to Sonic in Chapel Hill for ice cream. For now, on Wednesday afternoons, it’s picking you up at school for choir practice. For now...Thank you, God for now.

 Love, BB

WAITING FOR PEARL!

October 4, 2021

 Dear Pearl, 

 Excitement is running pretty high in the Brown family right now! October is finally here so we know that you will soon be with us, and we can’t wait much longer! Your mommy and daddy have known about you since January, but the rest of us didn’t find out until March. We found out your gender and name in April. We had a church baby shower for you in August, and your family from both sides joined together for a baby shower in September. All the things are checked off!! In late August, your parents moved to a new house in a new town in a new state: Union, Kentucky. It’s not the state where you will be born – you will be born at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio which is about twenty minutes from your home. A few weeks ago, Pap and I went to visit your parents and to see the new house. The house is very nice and in a very nice neighborhood. There’s a large backyard where you can have a swing set and a playhouse! There’s a side walk where your parents can stroll the neighborhood to exercise and to give you some fresh air. The nursery is all ready for you. Everything is pink and gray and all the necessary furniture items are set up and ready. You have a crib, a changing table, and most importantly, a rocking chair. You also have a really nice bassinet. The only thing lacking is you!! 

 When Emily was born, everyone was in the waiting room so we could see her as soon as possible: Pap and I were there, Emily’s other grandmother was there, Simon and your daddy were both there – even Mrs. Chunn was there: however, the covid virus has changed so many things that, at one time, we took for granted. Being allowed to visit at hospitals and hang out in the maternity ward is one of those changes – it is not allowed. We can’t anxiously sit in the waiting room waiting for your daddy to come out all breathless and excited to announce “She’s here!” and we all clap and cheer. So, we have to have another plan. Currently, we think we will know the day of your birth. The doctor will examine Mommy and declare that Pearl is ready for her debut. It will be on __________! Fill in the date. When we know that date, Pap and I will be packed and ready to head for Cincinnati. Your Uncle Jay and Aunt Christy will tell the people at their respective schools that they too are headed north, and someone else will need to be in charge for a while. Even Emily will be allowed to miss a few days of class. Your entire Brown family plans to set up in the hospital parking lot on the top floor because the maternity ward over looks that parking lot! We’re packing picnics and ordering pizza – however long the wait is until you are born, we’ll be camped out. I plan to be right there as close as possible so that later on, when you’re old enough to understand, you will have no doubt that your birthday was an exciting and special day. We all were there to welcome you! 

 Now, here’s the thing. Babies and God sometimes have their own special plans with their own special timing, and they don’t consult the parents or the doctor about those plans. That means there’s a chance that you will decide to come before the doctor assigns the date so that our current plan will need to be altered. That will be fine. It will just mean that we have to be a little more rushed, so I am making sure that the car stays filled up with gas, and my clothes are clean and ready to go! Your birthday will be an exciting day for all of us, but most of all, it will be the best day ever for your parents. They think they know (but they don’t yet) that the most amazing experience is about to happen to them – a memory they will treasure for the rest of their lives. Your birth. And with your birth comes an entire new life of joy, challenges and opportunities. Most of all, their lives will be filled with more love than they can imagine– for the rest of their lives. 

 See you soon! 

 Love, 

BB

LOVING PEARL

Dear Pearl, 

      Look at you! Eleven weeks to go, and you are right on target for size – except for your legs. The ultra sound indicates that your legs are at the 99th percentile which means you will be a tall girl! That’s really no surprise because both of your parents are tall. The application that your daddy sends me every week tells us that you are approximately two and a half to three pounds, the size of a healthy head of cauliflower. The amazing research that doctors have also indicates that you can smile now, especially in your sleep. I bet you are smiling all the time because your parents are! They are already so in love with you! We all are. 

      Yesterday, your daddy reminded me that it’s time for me to take the pertussis vaccination so that I can be sure that I don’t pass that potentially deadly disease on to you. Since I plan to spend a great deal of time rocking you and loving on you, I’m in! Just tell me where to go. If your daddy had said, “Well, go down to the Duck River and dip yourself three times every day,” I would spend most of my time looking like a drowned rat! Fortunately, he said that your mom or he can give me the vaccination and even bill it through my insurance. That's all it takes!  I’ll be all set. 

      Every baby is a miracle in my book; however, your impending birth is one of the most incredible miracles to ever come into my life. We already know so much about you: your size now and your probable size in the future; we know that you can smile and hear. Because of ultrasound, we even know that you can bite your toes! It’s all so wonderful and amazing that I can hardly wrap my brain around it all. But please know this – my heart is already wrapped around you, loving you, praying for you, and definitely so excited to cuddle you! Bring on that needle – I’m ready!! I love you, BB

MOVING ON UP!

Dear Emily,

                                                                    Emily and Huck 

   Unbelievable! You are almost finished with your first week of 4th Grade. I knew it would be a big change for you. I think of Kindergarten through Third Grade as a time of preparation. Of course, you were learning in those grades, learning things that I never dreamed of knowing until I got much older, but it’s still a time of gentle molding into the standard methods of school. You learned the rules; you learned how to conduct yourself on the playground and in the cafeteria. Teachers provided you with study tools that will become the foundation of learning as you progress through the halls of education. Now, Fourth Grade! That’s a big step because now you’re not considered a “baby” anymore as far as school is concerned. Evidently, your new teacher follows that same philosophy. She expects you to stand to answer a question (I love it!!), and she is teaching her students hand signals to use before they speak: use the restroom, have a question, make a comment, answer a question, etc. These methods certainly make for a more chaotic free learning environment. So far, I don’t think you are impressed with this change, but as the year goes on, I think that you will find out that learning is much easier when all students are focused and on task. 

     I loved 4th Grade. I remember being a little cautious at first because I had enjoyed my 3rd Grade teacher so much; in fact, 3rd Grade was when I decided that I wanted to be a teacher. I didn’t know if I would like 4th Grade. First, the classroom was located on the front hall. This was a huge change. Up until then, our classes had been located in the back of the school; our playground was the back lot of the school. Now we sat in a different kind of desk, and we had social studies and science books in addition to our English, reading, spelling, and arithmetic books. And we had tests. Yikes!!  On days that we could have recess outside, which was most of the time (three times a day!) we played on the front yard of the school which had only one set of swings so we usually made up our own games, hula hooped, jumped rope, or played baseball with the boys. Our new teacher was a petite lady who dressed like she was going to church. She even wore heels – every day! Although she was sweet, kind, and soft spoken, she did not “put up” with any silliness or nonsense. She had rules and goals for her students. I learned to love her and 4th Grade just as much as I had loved 3rd Grade. Sadly, I never developed a great love for science or social studies.

     Because I love you so much, I am inclined to want to protect you from anything that makes you feel uncomfortable or sad; in fact, many parents and grandparents attempt to do that very thing. They want to run interference for their child. They complain to the principal about the teacher or the administration. These parents are called “helicopter parents” because they hover over their children constantly to “protect” them; however, avoiding challenges and never encountering change in your life is not how you grow. Growth comes when we accept the challenges, embrace changes in life, and learn to overcome disappointment because – that’s life and it’s gonna happen!! I can’t wait to watch you grow through this year. You are amazing and just remember – I’m pulling for you! 

Love, 

BB

GIFTS FOR PEARL

July 20, 2021

Dear Pearl, 

      You should have been there! Well, technically, you were there, but you were nestled away in your mommy’s tummy, peacefully unaware of all the fun and joy floating around you. Last Sunday afternoon, the ladies of the church gave Mommy a baby shower. A baby shower is when people go out and buy gifts that the new mother can use when the baby comes. You got darling new clothes in pastel colors of pink and green with ruffles everywhere there could be a ruffle. You got blankets to keep you warm. You’re going to need those blankets because I hear Kentucky can get cold and snowy during the winter. Since your arrival is scheduled for the late fall of October, winter will be knocking on the door by the time your parents venture out of the house with you. Those blankets will feel really cozy.     

      I am the queen of useful gifts – I gave you a snow globe with an inscription that says “God lights every star to make our darkness bright.” Inside the globe is a baby girl sitting in a half moon surrounded by stars. When it is wound up, the music chimes "Twinkle, twinkle, little star."   I hope it still works by the time you are old enough to read this letter! I also got you a pink basketball. I’ve got my fingers crossed that you will enjoy sports and want to play basketball and/or softball. Finally, I knitted you a pink blanket. There’s a neat story behind that blanket. Months ago, maybe as long as a year ago, I bought yarn to knit a blue baby blanket and yarn to knit a pink baby blanket. I had been praying so hard that soon there would be a you; however, I stored the yarn in the closet and there it stayed - just waiting.  When I came home in January from my stay in the hospital and had to be quarantined in the bedroom, I felt fine. I wanted to do something productive in addition to just watch TV. Boring! I decided that now was a good time to take a leap of faith that God would send your mommy and daddy a baby – but boy or girl? So, I chose the pink yarn and knitted for you – without knowing you – a pink baby blanket. It was finished and in the closet before March…March 11…that’s the day Daddy and Mommy told us about you, but they didn’t tell us that you are a girl until April! It was a long wait to find out that my intuition was right!

                     

      Baby showers are gift giving events. Your mommy opened lots of presents for you Sunday afternoon, but the greatest present that you, Daddy and Mommy received that day is the gift of love. Your church family already loves you so much and is sharing in the joy of knowing that you will soon be here! I pray that wherever you go, you will seek out a church family. It’s one of God’s greatest gifts. 

 Love, 

 BB

EMILY IS TEN!

July 15, 2021 

 Dear Emily,

 On July 1, you turned ten years old! I’m not sure exactly how it happened that ten years have passed so quickly. One day you were a little girl – the next day, you weren’t. You are a beautiful young lady. You still have so much growing and learning in front of you, but you are already so grown-up! You are conversational in a way that is much more advanced than most ten year old children. Since you are an avid reader, you have a great vocabulary. Just this week on the way home from gymnastics, I taught you the words to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” We were singing along when the teacher in me popped up, and I stopped singing to ask “Emily, do you know what ‘root’ for the home team means?” With even taking a breath you informed me that it means “cheer” – ( you answered as if I had just grown another eye) “BB, like I’m an Eagle so I root for the Eagles – I cheer for the Eagles.” Well then….continue.  

Another sign of your maturity is that you are organized. When we packed for our night at Opryland Hotel, I thought it was a good idea to carry one small suitcase between us, but you didn’t want to carry “Horsy” through the hotel. She had to go in the suitcase. (You still had to carry a stuffed animaI, but you didn’t want anyone to see it!) I had to go to the storage building and bring out my large suit case, but I still didn’t think that putting Horsy in that case with the rest of our clothes AND pink blanket was possible. By the time you had organized and arranged all the things we needed for an overnight stay, we had room for more! Your appearance is still another sign of your growth. Sometimes on Sunday you almost take my breath away. With a dress on and your hair “done up” in a bun or a braid, you look not only grown up, you also look beautiful. Yes, my little girl is definitely growing up! In so many ways, that is a great thing. Until it’s not. 

      As you stand on the brink of puberty, you are testing the waters of independence in a new way. Being ten years old is all new, and it’s hard! It’s pre-puberty. You are being pulled in two different directions – one part of you is still a little girl – the new part is leaning toward the teenage years where the road can get really rocky. You have always, and I do mean from the time you could talk, had your own opinion and could justify your opinion. In recent weeks, expressing your opinion has often taken on an “attitude” that is not always becoming or desirable. Plus, you have learned how to pout. I always told your Daddy and Uncle Robert – “Don’t even try to out pout me. I’m a champion at it!” But I must admit, you can give it a good shot. And drama! Where does that come from? Jeepers! 

      I know from my own experience and from rearing two children that these things are just a part of growing up and that with lots of love, guidance, and prayer, you will come out on the other side as a young woman of grace and beauty. In the meantime, I celebrate the moments of my little ray of sunshine when she brightens my world as usual, and I will hold on tightly with patience when things get a little stormy! You have parents who love you, who are wise, and who are setting a wonderful example for you. They are giving you all the tools you will need to successfully maneuver through the coming years. 

 

Trust their love and their wisdom - do your best to follow their example Em, and the coming years will be a joyful time for everyone – especially you!

 I love you! 

 BB

A RED BELL PEPPER!

Dear Pearl, 

 This week you are the size of a big red pepper and can perceive light although I doubt that you can see much light from where you are currently resting! You are also becoming active! Your mommy can now feel you moving around in her tummy. Last week your parents spent two hours at the doctor’s office so the doctor could examine you from every single angle possible. The doctor reported that you are perfect! How could you be anything else? The doctor also took a sonogram – a picture of you inside Mommy’s tummy. Your profile picture clearly shows your nose and chin. The shape of your head looks exactly like your daddy’s head when he was born. Your daddy was a really pretty baby. Your Uncle Jay had looked like a prize fighter at birth. He was born three weeks past the predicted due date. His fingernails had grown out so long that he scratched his eyelid before he was born. As a result, his left eye was swollen shut at birth. He still has the scar. 

 In September, my close friends and I are going to the beach. It’s a “girl trip” that we take every year in the fall. Usually, we go over Fall Break in October because two of us were still teaching school; however, now we are all “retired” so we can go anytime. Last year we didn’t get to go because of Covid. We postponed the trip until April. The question came up about going in October this year as usual. I immediately told the group – “You’ll have to go without me this year! I have a new grandbaby coming in October, and I’m not going anywhere!” At that time, the only thing I knew about you was that you were on the way. My good friends said “Well, let’s just go in September.” And so, we are. Tonight, at supper, Pap asked “Now why are you not going to the beach in October?” All I said was “Pearl!” 

 October is totally about you! October has always been my favorite month. The weather has begun to cool, the days are shorter, and summer is over. Now I have the best reason to love October – your birthday. By the time you are born, you and your parents will be living in Kentucky – five hours away. You might think that with your being born so far away, your Brown family won’t be able to be there. You would be mistaken. Your Uncle Jay immediately declared “I’m gonna tell my boss ‘I’m outta here!’” Pearl is coming. Excitement is building. Prayers have been answered. We’re all gonna be there to celebrate you!

 Yes, you are currently the size of a red bell pepper. You are safe and warm and growing inside of Mommy’s tummy, totally unaware of all the joy that is swirling around your impending arrival. Please know that you are already cherished by so many people. You are our Pearl. 

 

I love you! 

 BB

THIRD GRADE FIELD DAY

Dear Emily, 

     Today is Field Day at Eagleville School. It is a beautiful, sunny day, and I am sorry that I am missing it, but like so many things in the past year, Covid precautions have prevented me from being there. Only parents can attend! It’s sad because one item at the top of my list of “Reasons to retire” was “I’ll be able to attend more functions at Emily’s school.” I won’t complain though. Other people have suffered the effects of Covid and restrictions much more than I have. Having to miss out on your Third Grade Field Day is just a little bump in the road. 

     Daddy has sent pictures. It looks like you are doing really well. I see a blue band, a red band, and lots of yellow bands. I can’t wait to hear about the events those bands match. What continues to strike me is how tall you are getting to be as you finish the Third Grade and are almost ten years old. The other day as we were sitting together on the piano bench, I couldn’t help but notice that your legs are actually longer than mine (which isn’t really saying much!). When people ask you where you get your long legs, you say from Simon, and he gets his long legs from his dad. You aren’t old enough yet to understand that the family tree doesn’t exactly fork in that direction, but it does give me pause. Where do you get your long legs? 

     Your daddy is tall, but he doesn’t have long legs. You mom for sure doesn’t have long legs either! Neither do any of your grandparents, so we have to move along the family tree to the greats. I don’t know anything about your Jones background; however, you do have some height and long legs in your Ogilvie and Brown heritage. My daddy and Uncle Jay were both tall; however, their legs weren’t lanky. On Pap’s side, I clearly remember Uncle Jack and Uncle Alvie: both tall and lanky fellows with long legs. It’s highly possible that those genes skipped a couple of generations and have manifested themselves in you! 

     I can only speculate. What I know for sure is that you enjoy using your long legs to jump and run. They are strong, healthy legs that will carry you anywhere you want to go although I chuckle every time that I watch you do a cartwheel. Those long legs are like a colt’s legs – you just can’t quite control where they go! Today, you are using them to compete in races with your friends and classmates. It looks like you’re winning. My prayer for you is that those legs will always take you to good and happy places where you will find joy and love. I promise to be on the sideline cheering you on and reminding you that as you walk (or race) through life, to seek God’s guidance and strength so that in the Field Day of Life, you will always be a winner! 

 Love,  BB

LAYERS OF PEARL!

Dear Pearl, 

     Seventeen weeks! Twenty-three weeks to go until we meet you! The app on your daddy’s phone says that you are currently the size of a large onion! I find it interesting that this app uses fruits and vegetables to visualize your growth from week to week. And I find it really strange that you’re being compared to an onion. Seriously? Your mommy told me that the measurement is actually from the top of your head to your tailbone – it doesn’t include your legs. You can still fit in the palm of my hand!              In spite of the questionable use of an onion comparison, I suspect that you are and will continue to be very much like an onion. An onion has layers that can be peeled off one at a time. Instead of peeling off layers, for the next twenty-three weeks, you are adding layers! Here’s the amazing thing about you. You already have all the things – you have arms and legs - you have skin – toes – eyes. God already knows the length of your legs and the color of your eyes. We have to wait with anticipation. You even have all your inside things too! As the weeks pass, you will add inches and weight to your body and layers of fat under your skin so that at the end of those twenty-three weeks, you will be born, plump and healthy and ready to take on the world. And that will be when the layers start to peel off! Not physically. You will continue to grow, but every week, a new layer will disappear, and every time a layer peels off, there will be cheering, laughing, and possibly happy tears just like peeling an onion! You will smile – layer gone. You will hold your head up – another layer gone. Rolling over – really big layer! Pulling up on the side of the crib – and so it goes. Layer after layer will peel away as you grow day by day.

     Peeling also occurs in a different way – a much more subtle way. As you grow physically, the layers of your personality will peel away also. Amazingly, like your body, your personality is already developing while you are in mommy’s tummy. Even though you are no bigger than a large onion, experts say that you already react to your mommy’s feelings as she goes about her day, and that contributes to your personality growth. That’s really good because that means you are happy and sweet and full of love for other people already. I can hardly wait to watch those layers peels away to expose all the beauty of your mother’s personality in you! Somewhere in there, you also have personality traits from your daddy! Those traits will be sweet and loving as well, but (insert smile and wide eyes here) with a strong dose of determination. That’s a really good thing! It means that when you decide to do something, you’ll do it. There won’t be anything “wishy-washy” about you, plus people will always know where they stand with you; however, it is does mean that your parents will need to peel that layer with a lot of love, prayer, and patience! And, like peeling an onion, there will be tears – most will be happy tears – some will not.

     I just realized – there is actually such a thing as a “pearl” onion! It’s tiny and sweet, and full of flavor – that describes you perfectly. You are already “flavoring” our lives with joy! Your entire family is patiently waiting for you to arrive – we don’t want to miss a layer! 

 Love, 

 BB

A PEARL OF A GIRL!!

 

May 2021

 Dear Pearl, 

     You have a gender (girl!) and you have a name! Pearl Lyn Brown. Pearl is an especially feminine name – a name that means “being of great price.” You are a beautiful miracle – your existence is God’s answer to our prayers. Your parents had a “gender reveal” party so that everyone could find out at the same time whether to buy pink or blue outfits. Everyone was invited – everyone was there – everyone was so excited!! We all circled around, and with cupcakes in hand, we waited for the countdown and signal to bite through the white frosting into the filling. Pink!! It’s pink!! Some of the family were surprised. They had expected blue. Not me. From the moment I heard your heartbeat, I knew. Pink!! And now that we know the basics about you, we are beginning to wonder about the particulars. Hair color, eye color, length of fingers and toes, and personality. I’m thinking that your hair and eyes will be dark like rich coffee, and that your fingers and toes will be slender and elegant. I picture you as a dainty baby like your daddy was. You may not think so now, but as a baby, he was like a little bird in my arms.          

     Your daddy was my second baby. Talk about a miracle!! When your Uncle Jay was born, we believed that we had had our only miracle. One doctor had told me that I wouldn’t have children at all, but we had beaten the odds and the result was your Uncle Jay. I didn’t dare dream that I would be blessed with another miracle, and then your daddy was born. Even though his measured weight wasn’t all that different from his brother’s, his frame seemed slight. Your Uncle Jay was a heavy baby – solid – carrying him was sort of like carrying around a sack of potatoes on my hip. Your daddy was different. He was lighter and all arms and legs. 

     His personality was also different from the beginning. Jay slept all night at six weeks; your daddy got his nights and days mixed up soon after we brought him home from the hospital. I had heard about other babies who had trouble sleeping at night, but I thought maybe their parents didn’t know what they were doing. Boy! Was I ever wrong about that! You daddy didn’t sleep at night; in fact, he didn’t really sleep during the day. “Sleep when the baby sleeps” was the advice, but the problem was, the “baby” slept only twenty or thirty minutes at a time! Just about the time I would drift off, the “baby” would begin to cry and the cycle would begin again.     

      Another facet of his personality evolved early too. Being his mother was a new challenge every day because once he decided he wanted something or wanted to do something, changing his mind was tricky at best. This trait has paid off for him, both as a youth and as an adult, but when he was a small child, his determination and stubbornness resulted in one hair pulling experience after another: climbing on the counter tops or unbuckling his car seat in a moving car! Yikes! In October, we will finally meet you – a combination of two amazing people – your mommy and daddy. We will know so much more about you; however, I already know the most important detail – that you are our little Pearl –a most loved and valued treasure in our family.

 BB

LISTEN

Before the Ole Miss-Auburn game, ESPN Game Day showed an interview between two players – one from Ole Miss, one from Auburn- who had collided during the game between the two schools last year. One of the players had been severely injured in the collision; the other had not. I’m not sure of the exact details, but this is basically the story. When the officials pulled all the players off the pileup, only these two young men were left: one on top of the other. Football players are coached to get up immediately when the whistle blows and to hustle back to the huddle or to the sidelines; however, the guy who was not hurt didn’t get up. He said that he heard a voice in his head that said, “Don’t move.” It was hard for him to lie perfectly still and ignore what he had been taught, but he listened to the voice in his head and did it. He said he had no doubt that “It was the voice of God. . .” speaking to him. The young man who was hurt had broken his 4th vertebra….had the other guy from the other team moved, he would have jostled the hurt player, most likely killing him instantly. The story is that the unhurt player trusted the “voice” and didn’t flinch, thus saving the life of the other young man who has since recovered. The story reminded me of the verse “Be still and know that I am God.” In the hurry-up busy world of today, opportunities to “be still” are difficult to find. Most of us spend our days rushing hither and yon to accomplish as many different tasks as possible so that we drop into bed - exhausted – at the end of the day. That certainly describes me. I don’t like to “be still.” I don’t like to sit and watch TV unless I am simultaneously knitting, folding clothes, or doing something “productive.” No “just sitting” time for me. But God explicitly tells us to “be still…” Wow. Like the young man from the game, I need to listen to that voice more often. God has something to tell me, and if I will be still and listen, the life I save just might be my own.

Baby Brown

November 21, 2010

Dear Baby Brown,

I have known that you are on the way for over a week! I am beginning to get used to the idea that my “baby” is having a baby. Your dad called us on Thursday night, November 11 after I had just talked to him at a basketball game. He talked to your grandfather first and then asked that I get on the other phone. That request alone made me highly suspicious that something special was “up.” I probably didn’t react the way that either your dad or I would have anticipated….I hardly knew what to say! I have thought about you so often in the past two and a half years….hoping that you were in the “plan”; wondering how you would be “announced”; anticipating how I would feel! I never thought about a phone call on a Thursday night after a ball game! But your dad was so excited. He and your mom had known since Monday and all he could say was, “I was just ready to tell SOMEBODY!”

On the next Sunday, your dad announced the news at church as a joy at prayer time. “Pastor, last Monday I was taking a shower and getting ready to go to school just like any other day. When I got out of the bathroom, my beautiful wife informed me that we are going to have a baby! She said that it was the longest shower that I had ever taken!” Everyone in the church applauded the news!

Now the real waiting begins…July 19 seems like a long time away. So many new things to wonder about…will you be a boy or a girl?…what will your name be?…and , of course, the biggy….what will you call me?!!! But whatever the answer to those questions will be, please know this Baby Brown: you will be born into a family who already loves you very much!

PEANUT AND LEMONS!!

April 23, 2021

 Dear “Peanut,” 

      Tomorrow is the big day! Tomorrow is the day when we drop the anonymous name “Peanut” and find out your gender and your name. Your parents have known your gender since day one – modern science is amazing. When my babies were born, your Uncle Jay and your daddy, the gender reveal was in the delivery room when the doctor announced “You have a ______.” In my case, both reveals were a boy! Your parents have not only known your gender, I suspect that along the way, while you were still just a dream, that they discussed your name and probably had pretty much nailed down the what the school principal will call out at graduation when you have earned your diploma! One name for a girl- another name for a boy! Everyone in the family has made a guess as to what gender you are. Most believe that you are a boy. I have no idea why they have zoomed in on a boy. Your mom and dad have been stoic in their insistence that we wait until tomorrow for the “big reveal.” They have given not the slightest clue. I, on the other hand, believe you are a girl! Your mom has an app on her phone that has allowed her to hear your heartbeat. Again, amazing! One Sunday after lunch, she let us listen to your heartbeat too. It sounded strong and fast! There is an Old Wives Tale that claims that a fast heart beat indicates that the baby is a girl. A slower heart rate means the baby is a boy. That same theory says that a mother carrying a girl will have morning sickness. Even though your mom hasn’t had morning sickness, I’m sticking with my feeling: girl. With that said, someday when you read this letter, I want you to know this one fact for sure: IT DOESN’T MATTER AT ALL TO ANY OF US IF YOU ARE A BOY OR A GIRL!! What does matter is that you ARE! You are thirteen weeks in gestation, the size of a small lemon, and we are all crazy about you. We hardly can wait until October! For now, it’s one step at a time…we found out about you in March, tomorrow we find out more. Then in October, the biggest reveal of all. YOU!! You to see, you to hold, you to watch grow. And you can believe it Peanut, you will be surrounded by love and we will all be watching! 

 Until tomorrow Peanut. 

 I love you! 

 BB

THE DINING ROOM TABLE

Dear Emily,

     Sundays are special days for me.  Obviously, I love Sunday because it's the day we worship with our church family; however, there's another reason that Sundays are so special.  Every Sunday, our family gathers here after church for Sunday dinner.  We catch up with what everyone has done through the week, discuss upcoming plans, tell old stories, and laugh a lot.  It's such a special time to sit around the dining room table in the sunroom and to just be together.  Naturally, as the family has grown, the space around the table has become more crowded.  Quite often, someone will say "Mom, you need to get a larger dining table." And I always say "No."

     The table is special - even though it is smaller than a standard size dining room table, it has a history and it's the history that secures its place in the house.  Daddy bought the table at Mrs. McBride's sale in the mid '60's.  He was the auctioneer for her estate sale following her death.  We needed a kitchen table to replace the old red and white Formica one Mama and Daddy got when they married,  so when this table came up on the sale block, Daddy sold it to himself!  

     Mrs. McBride was the town florist for many years.  She operated the flower shop from the screened-in back porch of her house, located on the south end of Chapel Hill.  The house is still there although it has undergone several changes in the past few years.    Mrs. McBride, a widow, was a short, plump lady with steel gray hair.  Her braids were pinned in a circle around her head. The table sat on the back porch where Mrs. McBride must have spent hours cutting and arranging flowers for weddings, funerals, recitals, proms, and other miscellaneous events.  Since she used the table as a cutting board, the resulting knife marks can easily been seen across the three wide boards which are secured to a frame and attached to four beautifully turned legs.   Mrs. McBride and her flowers were a staple in Chapel Hill for many years.    Her beautiful arrangements were all created with flowers cut and trimmed right on this table - the table that now sits in my dining room.  

     I could get a new table - a new table would be larger and shiner without any scars; however the scars that criss-cross the top of that table are a tribute to a special woman - a woman who embraced a skill that enabled her to earn a living and to provide the Chapel Hill community with beauty that enhanced our lives for many years.  

     "No, I won't be getting a new table. Now squeeze together!" 

Love,

BB

 

       

The Light from the Kitchen Window

January 11, 2021 Dear Emily, When I was a child and living on the farm where you live now, the farm was a “working” farm. We had all kinds of animals: sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, beef cows and, of course, the pets – cats and dogs. In the summer, the fields were full of alfalfa hay to be cut, baled, hauled to the barn, and stock piled as winter forage for the animals. The bales were the smaller “square” bales (that weren’t actually square) and easy to handle, even for a child. As a nine- or ten-year-old, I could pick up a bale by one twine that held the hay blocks together, put my knee is the center of the side and “bust the bale.” Covering the barn floor and stacked to the barn ceiling, the hay made a fabulous playground for a farm child to play. Who needed a park with a playground when the barn offered places to hide, climb, and jump? Plus, we could swing from the rope hanging from the ceiling. In the winter, the barn was also used to feed and shelter the animals at night. The sheep were penned on the north side of the barn where there were feeding troughs for grain. The barn floor was littered with straw for bedding. The south side of the barn was used to feed the cows. There was no door on that side – the cows could come and go as they pleased. When Daddy was at home, he did the feeding. He loved the farm work, but his health prevented him from taking a more active role as a farmer. On the nights he traveled and had to be away from home, the responsibility of feeding the animals fell to Jody and me. Oddly enough, I don’t remember that we went to the barn to feed together – we took turns doing it alone. I never minded when it was my turn although I would sometimes procrastinate and get a late start on my job. Cows are fairly smart. They know when it’s feeding time and will slowly plod their way to the barn. Sheep are another story. Sheep are the dumbest animals alive in my opinion. On the coldest winter afternoon at feeding time, the sheep would still be grazing on the back side of the field. Sheep don’t respond to a whistle or a call like cows, pigs, and horses, so I had to go “get” the sheep and herd them to the barn. They always acted like they didn’t even know what direction to go! They would scatter every which way. Fortunately, we always had a good sheep dog to help. Many afternoons, after I had been a little slow in starting after the sheep, then herding them, feeding both the sheep and cows, and playing for a while in the barn, I would realize that daylight had disappeared into deep twilight, and I was really cold. It was time to head to the house, but the house was over a football field away from the barn, and I had an active imagination! It was going to be a dark and spooky walk; however, from the barn, I could see the golden light from the double kitchen windows spilling into the yard. I knew that the light meant that Mama was in the kitchen cooking supper, and that the wood heater had the rooms cozy. Security, food, warmth. All I had to do was to focus on the light and start walking to get safely back to the house. That light on a dark afternoon is one of my favorite childhood memories. We have just celebrated the Christmas season – the Season of Light because the Bible tells us Jesus is the light of the world. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness…” (John 1: 4 & 5 NISB). As you get older, unfortunately, you will face times of darkness in your life: disappointment, doubt, and pain are all part of life. And the darkness can be sneaky. Like my late afternoons in the barn, you may find yourself in a dark, cold place without even seeing the dark coming. That’s when you start moving. Moving toward the Light. Jesus is there waiting for you with security for your heart, food for your soul, and warmth for your spirit. Let the Light be your guide. He will safely lead you back home. Love, BB