Hello little one;

Soon, you will be thrust out into a strange new world of bright, glaring lights and loud noises. Don't worry. You are ready. Oh, you'll gasp and sputter a bit, but then you'll take a deep breath and howl mightily. As your eyes blink to adjust, someone will wrap you in a warmed blanket. You'll see people hovering around you. These people have waited for you, thought about you a lot, and loved you long before you got here. It is a love affair that will last a lifetime, yours and theirs. This is the first you will see of your outside world.

It's a funny place, this world. Maybe when you're grown, the problems we struggle with today will be solved, the terrible diseases cured, and the nations finally at peace. Until then, people scurry about like ants, never stopping to smell a rose, or talk to a lonely old man on a park bench, or tickle a baby's cheek.

Everybody's rushing here, rushing there, all in the name of living. Let me tell you, little one, your arrival will stop them dead in their tracks. Life as they formerly knew it will be put on hold. Suddenly, they will have more on their minds than pay checks and patio parties, restructuring and politics, board meetings and stock markets. You will become Priority One on their “To Do” lists for many years to come.

These folks who love you will keep you safe, kiss away your hurts, and protect you from the boogiemen of this funny world. They will teach you to be strong and walk tall. 'Course walking is a whole other story – that of development, where each stage has its own agenda of bumps and bruises. Oh, and it gets better, but that's another letter…

For today, you are yet unborn. I can tell you that empty arms ache to hold you, to caress your silken cheeks, to explore your baby creases and dimples. Motherly fingers long to search for your 'stork bites', to check out your tiny fingers and toes, to marvel at 'daddy's nose', and smooth your thatch of newborn fuzz. Gentle hands will hug your precious baby body close to smell your baby smell. Best of all, loving eyes will gaze into yours, a loving face will smile and murmur, “Hello, little one. Welcome to the world…”

Signed,

Your Mother

***

About the Author

Gloria Hansen

Gloria Jean Hansen is a nurse/bluegrass musician/writer living in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. Her stories of growing up in rural Kipling have been featured in her long-running weekly newspaper column for more than two decades. She is the author of five novels and several published articles in various magazines. In her spare time she enjoys camping and fishing, skiing, and playing bluegrass.She will one day retire from nursing and live in a cabin by the river.