The Happiest Days . .

In Gone With the Wind, Mammy said, when Bonnie Blue Butler was born, "The happiest days is when babies come." How true that is. It seems that when a baby is on the way, we become excited, hopeful, anticipatory, and just happy thinking about the new life that will, in some way, give new meaning to ours.

We had a baby shower today. The youngest member of our church choir, the young woman who grew up in our church, moved away, and then came back to be married and be a part of the church, is having a baby. Max and I made a cake and spiked coffee, I got flowers and new candles, and I even bought "baby" napkins so that we could remember why we were there. Our church choir is a tight-knit group, singing together every Wednesday and Sunday, seeing each other through family crises, illnesses, death, and, most happily, new life. Stephanie brought her husband John, who sat stoically through the opening of the gifts, the "oohs," the "ahs," and the stories of Stephanie's grandmother Marilyn, who, though she died many years ago, is still larger than life through tales of her legendary antics.

Max, Wes, and Jim (Stephanie's father and our ringer tenor) also braved the femininity of a baby shower to come and "ooh" and "ah" along with us women. Even they had a good time. We laughed, shared stories, shared gossip, remembered the choir's past and its present, and celebrated what may be its future in preparing to welcome Hannah, the fourth generation of this family to come into our church and who knows? Sing in the choir?

Pink was the predominant color, laughter was the loudest noise, and familiarity and comfort the most prevelant feelings. It was a good day and a great shower.

We didn't play any games.