WELCOME HUGH EAVES

Thank you God, for the electric company.

Many of you out there may take electricity for granted, but not me.

Certainly, none of us do when a hurricane knocks out the power for 5 days.

But I have a long history of electrical appreciation, from sticking my hand in a toaster as a toddler (developing an ongoing facial tic), to starring in “The History of the TVA” in a grade school play, and editing the “The Madcap World of Electric Chair Executions” in a college film class.

While we’re on ‘taken for granted’ things, how about Mothers and childbirth?

This is top of mind because our daughter delivered her 3^rd son this week, Hugh Eaves. A beautiful little boy, who doesn’t say much, but cries a lot and loves to eat and sleep. We have a lot in common…

She delivered via C-Section, which is like the drive-thru lane of labor, but still very intense. The recovery process limits stair climbing, and recommends frequent naps and rubbing ointment on her stomach. We have a lot in common…

I have a lot of birthing experience, having been with My Captor through roughly 72 hours of active labor.  That’s like 3 days – or 3 weeks, if you’re the one in labor. To pass the time we played cards, created panoramic displays of electrical innovation, and watched a lot of TV. Each of our children is associated with a different sporting event or show, which I believe contributed to their personality development. Never watch The Sound of Music, Fox News or MMA during labor…

I had the easy part, which was coaching: Breathe, breathe, it’s close to being over, we’re good – and that was just finding a parking spot.

I coached from a flow chart which summarized the stages of labor, which I’m happy to share. I have a feeling it hasn’t changed all that much.

My favorite part of labor was the epidural. While My Captor received just one, I was given one for each of her 6 labors. Very relaxing. In fact, I recently found a spa that offers them.

One of our ongoing labor debates was whether God was a Man or Woman.

I always believed He was a Man, because He assigned labor and delivery to women.

But My Captor convinced me God was a Woman, because She knew that once men learned what was involved, they would never go through the process and civilization would end. And besides, there’s a game on…

To quote Joan Rivers, “Being a Mother is hard. If it were easy, a Father could do it”.

It was interesting to watch his brothers’ reaction to Hugh’s arrival home.

After 9 months of build-up:  “A new brother or sister, how awesome is that!” to the reality of a blanketed bundle who really doesn’t do much, his siblings were excited but moved on pretty quickly. I overheard his oldest brother say “They brought us a crying paperweight!”

But that changes as the baby grows. They will learn to play together, and due to the law of odd numbers, there will always be 2 brothers to gang up on the 3^rd.

Which is when the fun begins.

The fun of forming sibling relationships, and coalescing as a family.

As I hold Hugh and contemplate the miracle of birth, it strikes me that an atheist must never have experienced new life.

And I am left in an optimistic mood: Despite all that goes on the world – particularly with what we’ve all been through these past two years – another generation of young parents is confident that there is a bright future ahead for their children.

Planning – and living – their lives accordingly.

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TO ENHANCE YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THIS POST, PAIR IT WITH THE FOLLOWING SONGS:

Unknown legend  Neil Young

She used to work in a diner, Never saw a woman look finer
I used to order just to watch her float across the floor
She grew up in a small town, Never put her roots down
Daddy always kept movin’, so she did too

Somewhere on a desert highway, She rides a Harley-Davidson
Her long blonde hair flyin’ in the wind, She’s been runnin’ half her life
The chrome and steel she rides, Collidin’ with the very air she breathes
The air she breathes

You know it ain’t easy, You got to hold on
She was an unknown legend in her time, Now she’s dressin’ two kids
Lookin’ for a magic kiss, She gets the far-away look in her eyes

Somewhere on a desert highway
She rides a Harley-Davidson
Her long blonde hair flyin’ in the wind
She’s been runnin’ half her life
The chrome and steel she rides
Collidin’ with the very air she breathes
The air she breathes

Father, Son  Peter Gabriel

Father, son, Locked as one
In this empty room, Spine against spine
Yours against mine.Till the warmth comes through

Remember the breakwaters down by the waves
I first found my courage, Knowing daddy could save
I could hold back the tide, With my dad by my side

Dogs, plows and bows, We move through each pose
Struggling in our separate ways, Mantras and hymns
Unfolding limbs, Looking for release through the pain

And the yogi’s eyes are open, Looking up above
He too is dreaming of his daddy’s love
With his dad by his side, Got his dad by his side

Can you recall, How you took me to school
We couldn’t talk much at all, It’s been so many years
And now these tears, Guess I’m still a child

Out on the moors, We take a pause
See how far we have come, You’re moving quite slow
How far can we go, Father and son

With my dad by my side
With me

Welcome to Earth (Pollywog)  Sturgill Simpson

Hello, my son
Welcome to earth
May not be my last, But you’ll always be my first

Wish I’d done this ten years ago, But how could I know
How could I know, That the answer was so easy

I’ve been told you measure a man, By how much he loves
When I hold you, I treasure each moment I spend
On this earth, under heaven above

Grandfather always said God’s a fisherman
And now I know the reason why

And if some times daddy has to go away
But please don’t think that it means I don’t love you
Oh, how I wish I could be there everyday
‘Cause when I’m gone it makes me so sad and blue
And holding you is the greatest love I’ve ever known
Oh, when I get home it breaks my heart
Seeing how much you’ve grown, all on your own, oh

Oh, hearing that, Made me cry
It made me cry, Hearing me cry, A thousand miles away
Every cry
(Greatest love I’ve ever known)
(Oh, ever known)

Gracie  Ben Folds

You can’t fool me, I saw you when you came out
You got your momma’s taste but you got my mouth
And you will always have a part of me, Nobody else is ever going to see
Gracie girl

With your cards to your chest walking on your toes
What you got in the box only Gracie knows
And I would never try to make you be
Anything you didn’t really want to be
Gracie girl

Life flies by in seconds, You’re not a baby Gracie, you’re my friend
You’ll be a lady soon but until then, You gotta do what I say

You nodded off in my arms watching TV
I won’t move you an inch even thought my arm’s asleep

One day you’re gonna want to go, I hope we taught you everything you need to know
Gracie girl

And there will always be a part of me
Nobody else is ever gonna see but you and me
My little girl
My Gracie girl

My Three Sons  Elvis Costello

Day is dawning, Almost sounded like a warning
Wind was rushing through the trees almost falling
I never thought that I’d become
The proud father of my three sons

Years of fragment, Between the shame and the sentiment
For all the years that I might have been absent
I can’t do what can’t be undone
Oh no, my three sons

I love you more than I can say, What I give to one, the other cannot take away
I bless the day you came to be, With everything that is left to me
Here’s your pillow, Go to sleep and I will follow
May you never have anymore sorrows
That’s not something that you can count upon
Still I want it for my three sons
My, my, my three sons

Deep in the night I turn cold and sick, But I only curse arithmetic
I bless the day that you came to be, With everything that is left to me

Day is closing, Old men and infants are dozing
That’s the kind of life I’ve chosen, To see what I’ve become
The humble father of my three sons
The humbled father of my three sons

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead  Warren Zevon (the unofficial anthem of all new parents)

So much to do, there’s plenty on the farm
I’ll sleep when I’m dead
Saturday night I like to raise a little harm
I’ll sleep when I’m dead

I’m drinking heartbreak motor oil and Bombay gin
I’ll sleep when I’m dead
Straight from the bottle, twisted again
I’ll sleep when I’m dead

Well, I take this medicine as prescribed
I’ll sleep when I’m dead
It don’t matter if I get a little tired
I’ll sleep when I’m dead

I’ve got a .38 special up on the shelf
I’ll sleep when I’m dead
If I start acting stupid
I’ll shoot myself
I’ll sleep when I’m dead

So much to do, there’s plenty on the farm
I’ll sleep when I’m dead
Saturday night I like to raise a little harm
I’ll sleep when I’m dead