Happy 40th Birthday Son

(1972) in a magical kingdom (Bend OR), in a magical forest (Dechutes National to be exact), in a glittering white castle on the crest of a crystal blue waterfall (In a tent in  a camp ground. Hey dad can remember it like he wants to and I can remember i the way I want!) Anyway, one evening, in that beautiful glittering white castle on the crest of the crystal blue waterfall, hey, it's my story, I'll tell it my way, the king  whispered in the queens ear and boom, February 24, 1973 their own "bundle of joy" was born!

Bundle of joy right from the start.

Good morning son! This week I've spent a lot of time thinking about this same  week 40 years ago. I remember how very cold it was. We were in Bend OR. Dad was working at Bend Mill Works, pulling green chain. That year we were so excited about your arrival I don't think we even noticed anything else. Your grandma came up in January to stay until you were born. The doctor said the end of January. I don't know if he miscalculated or you recalculated, but the end January came and went and no baby. My birthday came and went. No baby, Valentine's Day came and went and no baby. President's Day came and went. No baby. The doctor assured us that everything was fine. I was too young and dumb to even think that it could have possibly been a miscalculations. And besides, queens don't think about those things anyway. After all, in that century, teachers and doctors were infallible. If anyone had a mistake, it had to have been me. What had I done? What was wrong? Were you going to be okay? All day that Thursday, February 22, 1973, my lower back hurt. I kept rubbing it. I couldn't get comfortable. I twisted and turned when sitting. I walked, I twisted, as much as I could. I did everything. I didn't know what was wrong. Not once did I think about being in labor. I mean labor means you have pain in your belly right!? Queens don't have pain. It is not allowed. As I look back now I realize that should have been my first indicator that you were going to have a mind of your own!  The pains I'd been having in my lower back all day turned out to be contractions.

That IS a smile on your face.

Finally, early evening, we decided it was time to call dad at work. The pain was getting stronger and stronger and happened more frequently. Now when it snows in Bend. It snows! Feet and feet of snow. There were no cell phones or pagers either, so it meant we had to call the office and they had to send someone out to find dad and give him a message.

 It wasn't an easy time. You were so darn stubborn. Dad paced the hallway and prayed beside my bed. He was so scared. Grandma prayed and waited. There was some fear that you would be stillborn. But, you, you fooled them all and at 12:51 a.m., Saturday, February 24, 1973, there you were, all 7 lbs., 13 oz., and 21 inches of you. The doctor said they had damaged the nerve in your right eye with the forceps and that it would never close. He prescribed ointment that you would always have to put in your eye, the nurse showed us how to do it. But you know what? In five days time when we bundled you up to take you home, your eye was closing. Oh, why five days? Because you developed yellow jaundice and they had to keep you under a special light. The nurse tried to get me to go on home and come back in five days to get you. Ha! I came in with you and I wasn't leaving without you! No queen leaves in midst of trouble! Never!

Grandma had to go back to CA before you came home. Your uncle Dennis got married in January before you were born and your Auntie Di was getting married in March after you were born. Grandma had several very busy months that year!

Yup, mind of your own.

'til the day God took you home

Our lives changed forever that day! I was so frightened that first night. Dad had to go back to work and he worked the night shift, grandma was gone and so here I was with you alone. I was so afraid. I know queens aren't suppose to be afraid, but hey, this is my story and I was afraid. Let's not tell the king though. I was afraid that I wouldn't hear you wake up. I know, you're probably thinking the guards would hear right. Now really son, what's a guard, in all that cold noisy armor going to do? I mean really.  So, I hooked a string to the dogs tail so he's wake me up when he went to the door to have the guard let him out. (Actually, I set the alarm clock for 2 a.m) . It was the only night you slept the night through in months. Wouldn't you know it. I'm just telling you this so you will remember how much you were wanted and loved.The years with you were the happiest years the king and I have ever known. Even then, God had a plan.

Our Gain

by Jan Jamison

There were tears of joy
 and tears of pain (The queen doesn't really remember but the king says there was so it must be so!)

Tears of loss 
and tears of gain

There was more laughter than sadness

More joy and smiles

Than others will experience

In a century of miles (Did you ever consider that you lived between two centuries? The 20th & 21st?)

You lived every day

Not minding the next

Enjoying the moments

That meant so much

You brought much joy

To all you knew

You thought more of others

Than you did of you

You shared all you had

And some that you didn’t (A trait you inherited from the king!)

Your heart often broken

From a careless word spoken

You always went

The extra mile

Silently wishing (Well, not always silently. You inherited this from the queen.)

For that hidden smile

You held out and hoped

That all that you did

Would shine and show others

What God has to give

The time you had with us

Would have been 40 years today

We were so proud to be part

Of   God lead the way

We always thought

That we knew best (after all, we were king and queen)

But we have to tell you

Well always remember

What you use to say,

“God has a plan,

And we’ll do it His way”

Aaron Matthew Jamison

Happy birthday son. Love, "the king and queen"!

Until next week, be Aaron, love mom