Happy Birthday Rebekah Joy!

This past Friday night, there was much debate amongst my family as to the venerable age that my sister Rebekah reached upon her most recent birthday. However, personally, there was no nebulous confusion as to the occasion of her advent in 1986, for Erika and I had been excitedly preparing for Rebekah’s debut since we learned of “God’s precious [impending] gift to our family”- a delicate defense of my mom’s morning vacation to the bathroom.

Nevertheless, precariously wielding our Crayola etched banner, brandishing the profound reception of “Welcome Home Baby Sister”, Erika and I paraded along the streets of our Doylestown residence in elation and anticipation. Admittedly, our spirits waned upon our inaugural acquaintance in the backseat of our 1970 something Chevette, whereupon Rebekah Joy simply refused to stop screaming. We thought the middle name was a bit optimistic. Nothing placated this gremlin like creature who now secured the largest third of the diminutive backseat. Erika and I exchanged anxious glances and when the interminable ride home finally delivered us from the backseat inferno, we indignantly discarded the banner. Admittedly, Rebekah’s vivacious personality was untenable in its raw infancy.

However, despite the assault of her toddlerhood – characterized by biting, scratching and much more screaming- we were thankful that my parents did not just give the gift of Rebekah back (to God). Truly, despite a rather tumultuous inception, we would be disconsolate should her spirited presence be absent from our family. She has emerged as an indispensable and lovely confidant, daughter, sister and aunt, confirming the truth of her middle name. We should have never thrown the banner away!