Elsa Zadi Bishop was born on Monday, July 2nd at 10:46 pm. Katie was absolutely amazing. I think we did an incredible job working together to make sure she was completely relaxed during the contractions and attentive to what her body needed to do. The labor was only 4 hours 15 mintues long, and had we known what each stage of labor was really like, the labor could have been an hour shorter still. Elsa is here. She is here.
I have had the most radical shift in focus over the last few weeks. I like change, I like going with the flow, but the currents are starting to ebb and fade. I've felt for a long time that I was older than what I looked like, like I've been a young adult instead of a youth for the last seven or eight years. Now I'm no longer a part of the typical social or scholastic circles that we typically affiliate with youth, and to some extent my new situation is liberating me from being typified as an adolescent and a student and the assumptions and other people's baggage of what that stage "naturally" entails about my identity. I won't miss that condescension. But more and more, I'm exposed to the trappings on the other side of the fence, a whole new set of questions and expectations, not just for me but for my family and now for my child. I just want to be without at best politely and at worst, recalling my not too distant past, forcibly going along with expectations and priorities that aren't my own and prevent me from being myself.
I miss Illinois so much.
2 comments:
Bahiyyih says:
Are you being sarcastic? You love Illinois so much? You must mean your family here because I don't remember you loving your experience of life as a graduate student all that much. You haven't forgotten all that in a wave of nostalgia now, have you? You were so lit up talking about Seattle. The great people, the energy of the city, your great house and neighborhood, short commute to work, amazing community, Baha'i and other friends to get to know. What a fun place to get to know this next stage of growth and life.
Anyways, blah blah blah. I just heard Elsa is in the hospital and my prayers are with you all. I'm on my way to the Baha'i Center now for a special prayer time for her. I hope it's nothing serious. Keep us posted when you can. I know that when your children are in the hospital it's a special kind of hell. I'm there in spirit. Love love love to katie.
Yes, definitely the family and people, and definitely not the schooling.
Thank you so much.
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