Prompt: Favorite Photo

January 6, 2025

I'm one of the lucky ones - I had a wonderful father, and I am very very blessed.  

It was August 1958, and my mother was expecting her third child.  She had been blessed with 2 boys in the early '50's, but the memory of her previous birthing experiences cast a long shadow. The medications administered during my second brother's birth had plunged her into a world of terrifying hallucinations and nightmares, leaving her scarred and hesitant to expand our family further. It took six years for her to gather the courage to try again.

Enter her Hungarian obstetrician, a man whose accent my mother would fondly imitate in later years. When she confided her fears about the medications, he responded with a compassionate, "Miiiisssses Golden, I will help you. We will do this under hypnosis."  Though skeptical, my mother's desire for another child outweighed her doubts. 

Throughout her pregnancy, the doctor employed the power of suggestion. My father watched in amazement as my mother responded to hypnotic cues, perceiving the scent of roses where there was only formaldehyde. It was a departure from the '50's norm of treating childbirth as an "illness" requiring heavy medication.

Mom's expected date of confinement was 22 Aug 1958, but I was content and comfortable right where I was, snuggled safe and warm within my mother.  Two weeks later, mom and dad were watching the Miss America pageant, and my brothers were sleeping soundly in their rooms.  That night, labor started, and daddy took mommy to the hospital.  

My mother, ever the character, was in the hospital in labor and smoking, claiming to fill up an ash tray, without pain.  It was about 6am when she told the nurse she was ready to push, and the nurse said it wasn't time, and the doctor wasn't ready.  But that didn't stop mom from pushing.  Someone came running and caught me as I was coming out. It was 6:15am.  Mom said she felt great, and she was thrilled to have a little girl.  

Contrary to how things were done at the time, mom called daddy to let him know about his new daughter.  Dad's initial confusion at hearing her alert voice quickly turned to joy upon learning of his new daughter. It is said that he got out his shot gun and shot it in the air to celebrate my arrival.  

This photograph captures a moment of pure love - my father cradling me in his arms, his face a canvas of adoration and wonder.   Although my own expression was that of bewilderment, it was the beginning of an unshakeable bond.  I never once doubted my daddy.

As I reflect on this photo, I am filled with a bittersweet longing. Mom overcame her fears, trusted her provider and the devotion of my father evident in this picture. These are the foundations upon which my life was built. And though I miss my daddy dearly, the love captured in this photo remains an eternal comfort, a testament to the power of family and the enduring connection between a father and his daughter.