The Pink Dress

Welcome my friends to my first post in a while. My friends in blogland have been so incredible and full of love for me these past weeks.  I have had this post in my heart for several weeks and made certain before Doug left I had the picture to share with you.  Well my computer crashed and died so I don't have the photo to share.  I know your imaginations will take you along this journey with me.

It was the fall of 1974.  I was walking in a shopping center (our little town still doesn't have a mall).  I spotted it immediately.  In today's world it would be called a 'pagent' dress size 2T.  I had just come from the doctor and he told me I was pregnant.  I already knew.  Back then the way you knew ahead of time if it was a boy or girl was tying a string around your wedding ring and let it swing over your belly.  I didn't need anything that scientific, I already knew I was having a girl and I already knew her name.  Jenee', I had known for years. 

I saw the dress and it was $99.00.  That was a million dollars in 1974 for a dress.  I put it on lay away that day, they took it right out of the store window.  I paid it off in March, 1975.

April 15th 1975 I was busy doing last minute tax returns.  My water broke, I kept saying please let me finish this return and she did.  She waited until the morning of the 16th to arrive. Perfect little body, 10 fingers and 10 little toes.  A head full of hair and a big little baby at 8 pounds and 12 ounces.  I knew nothing about taking care of a baby.  I was so scared, afraid to hold her.....I thought she might break.  It was a difficult delivery and I was in the hospital almost a month after she was born.  They let her stay with me that whole month.  No HMO's back then.  She never broke, even with all my mistakes.  She put up with all my whims, dreams, husbands, traveling......you name it.

The afternoon of November 29, 1995.  I  opened the door and my sister was about to ring the bell.  She doubled over in my arms.  She was crying , I could barely understand her words. ' Jenee' was shot'.  That is all I could understand.  I remember thinking, oh no my baby has been shot in the leg.  Where I got that, I have no idea.  All I could think of was getting to the hospital.  She kept saying no, no she is gone.  And she was gone.  I kept her cell phone on for years so I could hear her voice on her voicemail.  But she was gone, but never forgotten.  Her pink dress remains a constant reminder of her love, joy, passion, laughter. 

Happy Birthday my darling daughter.  Your momma loves and misses you more each day.  Thank you my friends for sharing my baby girl's birthday.