Apologia

The driver was waiting downstairs promptly at nine in the circular entry of our tower apartments. The morning security guards, Smiley, Chatty, and Jack waved from behind the guardhouse plate glass. I knew they were curious where 1-11-1 A (we) were going and that they would concoct many stories... "Mam and Sir must be investigating a new job." "Did you see they are with a driver?" "Must be a better job." "Yes, usually Mam drives herself, no white women drive here." "Did you see her hit the gate yesterday after she ran atop the berm?" "No, but I heard about it." "She will have the most accidents in the new year" "No, No, Mr. Jones in 1-6-1 B will have more." "But Mam had four ding ups in 2008 and she only lived here from Oct. to Dec." ... Ok - maybe they didn't really care where we were going, but I DID! I began to squirm and wiggle in my seat and finally settled on "the danc...

I remember the final weeks before delivery like it was yesterday; unfortunately, it was 21 years ago. Experts refer to it as "nesting" but my husband called it insanity; an ADHD wonderland. Our home was awash in semicompleted baby projects and adrenaline. And because I was an informed mother of 2, I had included a big brother and even bigger sister in the festivities. We were having fun but accomplishing very little. The baby's room had a menagerie of crayon animals that were sure to spark imagination (or plant the seeds for future phobias.) The crib was home to an avalanche of plush creatures eager to welcome the future resident. A high chair, with only one leg caked in fossilized mashed potatoes and applesauce, had transformed our kitchen table from a perfectly symmetrical square into an unbalanced rhombus. Little did any of us know that the frenzy that preceded the arrival of the final member of our tribe would pale in comparison to the chaotic joy that would follow. F...