MY BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT

IT WAS FORTY YEARS AGO TODAY THAT I RECEIVED MY PRECIOUS GIFT, MY LITTLE BECKY. THE DR. SAID THE BABY WOULDN'T ARRIVE UNTIL AFTER CHRISTMAS, BUT I HOPED AND PRAYED IT WOULD COME BEFORE. BACK THEN WOMEN DIDN'T FIND OUT THE SEX OF THE BABY BEFORE IT WAS BORN. THE TECHNOLOGY WASN'T THERE YET. I WAS HAPPY TO HAVE ANOTHER LITTLE GIRL AND NAME HER BECKY, ALTHO A BOY WOULD HAVE BEEN OK TOO. WE LIVED IN THE HOUSE WHERE VON & ALICE LIVE NOW, WHICH WE HAD BUILT. JERRY WAS GOING TO PATROL SCHOOL IN PHOENIX AND COMING HOME WHEN HE COULD. I SPENT NIGHTS AT GRANDMA AND GRANDPA HANCOCK'S HOUSE BECAUSE I WAS A BIG COWARD IN THOSE DAYS.

I STARTED HAVING PAINS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, SO WHEN IT FINALLY GOT LIGHT OUT AND I THOUGHT JERRY WOULD BE GETTING UP TO BE GOING TO SCHOOL, I CALLED HIM AND TOLD HIM IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA IF HE CAME HOME, WE WERE GOING TO GET A BABY. THEN I CALLED MALENA AND ASKED IF SHE COULD DO MY HAIR FOR ME. PRETTY STUPID NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT. AFTER ALL THE CALLS, I GOT MY HAIR DONE, DARVIL WENT TO SCHOOL, GRANDMA TOOK BEVERLY TO ALICE'S HOUSE,[THEY LIVED DOWN THE ROAD FROM GRANDMA THEN] AND GRANDMA TOOK ME TO THE OLD OLD OLD HOSPITAL, WHICH WAS IN TOWN BACK THEN - SAFFORD INN- AND I GOT CHECKED IN. GRANDMA STAYED FOR AWHILE AND THEN LEFT. AFTER ALL, IT WAS JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND SHE HAD THINGS TO DO. SO THERE I WAS. NO EPIDURALS IN THOSE DAYS. NOT VERY STRONG PAIN MEDICINE EITHER. WOMEN ENDURED! BUT I MADE UP MY MIND THE MAIN THING WAS MY BABY, SO I CONCENTRATED ON THAT. AND FINALLY, THEY WHEELED ME INTO THE OPERATING ROOM. STILL NO JERRY.

WHEN MY BABY WAS DELIVERED, THE FIRST THING DR. CURTIS SAID WAS "ITS A GIRL" AND I ASKED "IS EVERYTHING OK" AND HE SAID "WELL LOOK AT THAT! WELL I'LL BE DARNED! I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE" AND THEN HE TOLD ME BECKY COULD BEND HER KNEE IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. I LOOKED OVER AT THE TABLE WHERE SHE WAS LAYING, AND I COULD SEE IT TOO. IT WAS AMAZING. THE DR. MADE A TINY LITTLE CAST THAT COVERED ALL OF HER LEG, BUT ONLY THE BACK PART AND HAD GAUZE BANDAGES TO WRAP UP THE FRONT. HE SAID THAT SHOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. WELL THAT, AND 4 SURGERIES LATER, IT DID.

IN THOSE DAYS WOMEN STAYED IN THE HOSPITAL FOR FOUR DAYS. I WANTED TO GO HOME SO BAD, BUT I COULDN'T TALK THE DR. INTO IT. I DON'T THINK GRANDMA THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA EITHER. SHE HAD ENOUGH TO DO ALREADY. OH, AND JERRY GOT HOME AT NIGHT AFTER BECKY WAS BORN. I THINK ONE OF HIS SUPERVISORS FINALLY TOLD HIM TO LEAVE. DARVIL AND BEVERLY COULDN'T SEE THEIR LITTLE SISTER TIL SHE CAME HOME. HOSPITAL RULES WERE DIFFERENT THEN. JERRY HAD TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL, BUT CAME BACK HOME ON CHRISTMAS EVE. WE ENJOYED THE CHRISTMAS EVE PARTY AT GRANDMA'S HOUSE, AS USUAL, AND THEN SPENT THE NIGHT IN OUR OWN LITTLE HOME, WITH OUR NEW LITTLE ADDITION. I LOVE YOU BECKY. I'M SO HAPPY YOU CAME TO ME TO BE MY CHRISTMAS ANGEL.