Fortune has blessed me with children of my own and for that I am eternally grateful. They are not alone in the next generation of my family, though, as they also have 12 cousins!
Day 2: The Next Generation.
The day I found out I was pregnant with my oldest son and I held the piece o...f paper I was given confirming the positive test result I realised the enormity of what was about to happen. In that moment I knew my life would, again, change forever.
Truer words were never spoken!
My first son arrived in early November that year, almost two weeks later than expected, and in no rush at all. My suitcase was packed and waiting by the door for what seemed like weeks and weeks. He was a beautiful baby with saucer-sized eyes, thick black hair, rosy cheeks and a healthy pair of lungs, which he exercised often! He was curious immediately. Then a thought struck me “where is the instruction book for parenting him?” and for one terrifying moment I didn’t know what I would do! It was clear very early on how bright and sharp he was. Books were his thing, he loved them and he slept with his favourites on his pillow. He never stopped asking questions and wanting to learn. I am so grateful to him for being easy to teach and be with. We sometimes sat and played together for hours on end, some days I would even forget the time and then realise it was going dark outside. Just over three years later, his brother arrived and that’s when the fun and games began!
My second son arrived almost a week early and was in a hurry to be born. He had fair hair, big eyes and the cheekiest grin you have ever seen. He slept often, hardly ever cried, and when he was awake would not stand still. The only time he stopped was for hugs or cuddles. He was generous with his affection and for that I am so grateful. My dad used to call him “Billy Whiz” and I swear he was faster than that. If you could map personality types on a line, these two boys would be at either end of it. They were different in every way possible and the challenge for me was to stop them fighting with each other and getting up to mischief. I had the doctors’ surgery number on speed dial and used it often. They were funny and made me laugh a lot, especially when they got up to high jinks. They kept me on my toes and I loved being with them and missed them when they went to school. They weren’t alone, though, they had five cousins all in the same age range and when they all got together, which was often before we moved overseas, chaos reigned.
My next sister and I were pregnant at the same time, second child for me, first for her. We were very close in our late teens and adulthood and having a baby at the same time was a blessing. My niece was born 15 days before my son and as soon as I heard the news I took a bus and train and travelled for 4 hours to see them in the hospital. When she started to get a little older it became clear that my niece was not developing in the average range. Numerous tests were done and nothing could be pointed to as a diagnosis for her condition. We soon learned she was almost totally deaf and had motor nerve issues. The whole family closed ranks around her and it was amazing to see my sister fight for the best of everything for her daughter; the best healthcare, the best education, the best support services. She and my brother-in-law were tireless in their struggle to make sure my niece had what she needed. When I looked at my sister I no longer saw that fearsome child but a determined mother fighting for her child. They say that God is very careful when giving a special child to its parents and if that is true then he came up trumps by choosing my sister and brother-in-law. Soon two more children joined the family and they are as protective of their sister as her parents. It is awesome to see and I am so thankful to them for being the best family my niece could ever have.
Some of the next generation of my family are adults now and some are still at primary school. Of the adults two of my nephews serve in the military, one in the AAC and one in RAF. One of my nieces is a teacher and very creative with her class. Another niece is at university, another one at college and another at secondary school. One of my nephews is just about to start an apprenticeship and another about to finish a research degree at Cambridge University. Another nephew is heading off to do his A levels soon and the two younger ones are still at school and have great skills in football (nephew) and singing and dancing (niece). I am proud of them all and so grateful they are in my life.
If you have read this far, thank you for hanging in there!
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