August 25,1997

Eight years ago today,two things happened.
The first thing was that I had a freckle removed from my right foot. It was a big round spot on top of my foot,right between my big toe and the one next to it. Mom always called it a beauty mark and said that my foot was beautiful. Parents lie a lot, don't they?

I remember when I was about 5 years old and an older neighbor boy jumped on my sandaled foot. I kept screaming and trying to get away. He was convinced he was killing a bug on my foot. Hmmmph! Why didn't he know it was a beauty mark?

I may not have loved this spot all of my life but when the dermatologist decided to remove it,I was devastated. It had been a part of me for 34 years and I didn't feel like parting with it. I had mentioned that it had gotten lighter in color over the years and that sounded suspicious to the doctor, so off it went. There was nothing wrong with it and even now,eight years later,I feel a sadness wash over me when I see the empty spot where my beauty mark used to be.

The second thing that happened on this day was that Rich and I attended our last birthing class. After that,we were on our own. I felt safe in that class with other pregnant women,knowing we would all be going through the same experience. As long as we were in the class,nothing could happen to me.

On this last class,one couple didn't show up. They were in the hospital trying to have her labor stopped. She was carrying twins. She actually ended up delivering a few days before I did because I had just had Lillianna when she was being discharged from the hospital.

Once our class was over,I passed out a box of baby chocolates that I had made to every couple and to our birthing instructor. We wished each other luck and planned to meet at my house in January 1998 after the last baby in the class was born.Then we said good-bye.

For some reason,I remember this date every year and think about those two moments.