Tags
Aunt, Christmas, finding hope, grandparents, infertility, pregnancy, pregnant, presents, surprise, Thanksgiving
What? Thanksgiving was over a month ago you say. Why am I about to talk about Christmas on a post titled Thanksgiving? Maybe the Christmas sherry has me confused? Nope, not at all. Sometimes you need the 20/20 vision of hindsight to understand what the holiday really meant.
It was the size of a mini-fridge and wrapped in Christmas paper with trios of penguins all over it. Anything with penguins is a given that it’s for my sister. I think she has started collecting penguin Christmas decorations the way Mom collects snowmen. Although, she’s got a ways to catch Mom’s nearly 2,000 snowmen decorations.
And, the fact that this big box was from my brother-in-law was no surprise. He spoils her at Christmas but it’s usually jewelry or theater tickets so none of us could imagine what was so big that she had asked for. Of course, she had to make it the center of attention because, well, that’s just my sister. As she undid the paper and lifted the top flap of the box, a little balloon escaped.
Can you guess yet?
Another balloon escaped and then another. And then a big blue one and a big pink one with a card attached to them and a bunch more little balloons too. Bet you got it now!
With all of the family, bot sets of parents and the last grandparent they have on either side, with both their siblings there, my sister and her husband excitedly announced they are pregnant.
After several years of trying and continual problems conceiving, they are finally going to be parents. It has been a difficult road and something they wanted more than anything. And, one that we thought would mean there wouldn’t be any grandchildren for either set of their parents. We already know that at my age and current relationship status, the likelihood I will ever be a mother is rapidly diminishing. My sister is the one who would make Mom a Grandma. And, my sister’s brother-in-law and his new wife have already said they will not be having kids. So that was it. The only grandchild would be from my sister and her husband.Sometimes, I think that knowledge made it harder as they put too much pressure on themselves. But, I’ll never actually know if that’s true or not or the extent if it is. To know that after all of the infertility treatments and dashed hopes it is finally happening for them is amazing.
But, what in the world does that have to do with Thanksgiving, right?
Of course we asked questions about how far along are they and when did they find out and how did she tell him and what was his reaction. Turns out she hadn’t been feeling well around Thanksgiving. She had told us all it was the flu picked up from kids at school. Turns out she’s a little fibber! They found out Thanksgiving morning but kept it secret till they could tell all of the family at once.
So, see, what seemed to be an ordinary Thanksgiving day with my family turned out to be a day to give thanks for more reasons than we knew we had. My sister’s dream and a prayer we had held for her had been answered. Gives new meaning to this Thanksgiving, doesn’t it?
That Thanksgiving will have changed life for all of us. No one more so than for my sister and brother-in-law. They will be known as Mom and Dad now. I’ve only been a daughter and a sister, a girlfriend and wife, a colleague and a friend. But, I get redefined too.
I am going to be an Aunt.
