Baby Girl

My youngest daughter, whom I call “Baby Girl”, arrived into this world like bright sunshine!  She came three weeks early and with a very rough delivery (36 hours of labor)!  She has a big personality, a warm empathetic heart, makes friends easily: commands attention when she enters the room!  

By the age of two, she had mastered the English language, charming all she met and could articulate her position well on just about any topic!  I recall taking her to the pediatrician.  He asked me “What is going on?”.  She looked at the physician and told him every detail and symptom she was experiencing!  I watched his mouth gape open.  Surprisingly, he exclaimed “I have never known a child so young to express their symptoms!”  She would grasp concepts quickly and ask continual questions; talking constantly.  

I recall that my dad used to tell me “You were vaccinated with a phonograph needle.”  I remember my mom affectionately saying “One day, I hope that you have a daughter just like you.”  Well, admittingly, I was blessed with two daughters that have many of my traits.  However, Baby Girl, probably acquired more of my “can do” attitude and communication skills; enjoying conversation.

Very quickly, when she was young, I observed that she was adventurous and enjoyed attention.  During a church service when she was about three, she took the stage with the other children.  She stood in the front row, center stage, with her older sister directly behind her.  As the music played, the children began to sing.  Baby girl started dancing and twirling, raising her ruffle dress over her head.  My oldest daughter tried to deter her but she continued on as the crowd laughed and enjoyed “the performance.”  As the song ended and the children exited the stage, the pastor thanked the kids and added “choreographed by Baby Girl.”  Everyone laughed, including me, from hiding under the pew.  Little did we know that day “a star” was being born.

God has a plan for each of us.  He creates our personalities, unique, special. God is not bound by time.  He sees everything beginning to end.  He sees life as a whole.  We see only in parts of pieces.  Some of who we are and whom we become partially grows from our experiences and choices.  Baby girl also has a chronic health issue that she has had to live with her entire life.  Since she was two weeks old, she has been in and out of doctor’s offices, emergency rooms and hospital visits.  However, her effervescent personality would capture the hearts of everyone she came in contact with.  She is a “fighter”; a survivor.  Her mantra is “If you tell me that I can’t do this, I will prove you wrong.”  She is to this day strong-willed, determined.  Yet, her heart is big, warm, sincere.

As a mom, I made many mistakes. I still do.  I am a work in progress. But I have always tried to teach my children the importance of helping others and staying “grounded”.  I have told my girls “never forget where you came from”.  They know what I mean when I tell them this.  We lived in a small rural area, in a 100 plus year old farmhouse and had very little materially in their younger years.  But we had God, our faith and each other.  We were rich and had all that we needed!  We were grounded.

In high school, Baby Girl, was struggling with what she wanted to do when she grew up.  She thought about aerospace and working for NASA or Broadcasting and Journalism?  She really didn’t know what direction she should go.  She started taking journalism and broadcasting classes.  She was enjoying the classes.  But she felt pressure from me to make a decision regarding a career path.  

In April of 2006, she went with her church youth group on a mission trip to D’Iberville MS; an area heavily decimated by Hurricane Katrina.  Concerned about making a career path decision, she was praying asking God to send her a sign of which way to journey. She had received an assignment from her broadcasting class to conduct an interview.  As she toured the area, she saw first hand hurting people, intense destruction and felt personally the devastation.  She wanted to share with others; tell their story and help them.  They were assigned to assist and clean a church in the area.  There she met Father Denis Harlow.  He was a kind priest.  She interviewed him.  He encouraged her by telling her “You will be the next Katie Couric.”  She felt this was her answered prayer; personal sign from God!  Upon returning home from this trip, she was grateful, humbled and changed. She loved mission work and helping!  She and the youth group returned two other times to complete the work they had started.  

In college, she pursued Telecommunications.  She has gone on to become an award winning journalist and television news reporter/anchor.   Most importantly, she loves people and telling their stories.