Maybe My Kid's Not So Bad After All

Due Date +4

Okay, first things first. The kid's still not here. I don't think I need to say any more on the subject. His mother and I want him out; he doesn't want to come out. By this point, we've agreed to disagree on this whole birthing situation.

But tonight, I may have come to realize why the little one doesn't want to come out, and maybe it's not as selfish as I originally believed.

You see, Deb has been working hard these past few (actually, many) weeks, trying to help the March of Dimes put together their annual Celebrity Chefs Dinner and Auction. This is the third year in a row she's worked on this event, and of all the events she helps organize, this is by far the most enjoyable to be a part of.

However, the point of the event is not to insure that I have a good time, but actually to raise money for a worthwhile cause. In this case, the March of Dimes, having succeeded in its original goal of finding a cure for polio, has turned its attention to helping premature babies.

So I'm sitting there tonight, watching a speaker up on the stage telling a story of how her two twins were born 14 weeks early, weighing a total of 4 pounds total between them. For 119 days, the parents of these two children endured so much, and their only wish was that their children survived the night.

As this mother, whose children are now healthy two-year-olds, told of the emotional pain she endured, I realized that maybe my son decided wait to join the world so that his mom (who really has been working too hard) could help the March of Dimes raise over $250,000 tonight for kids who don't have it as good as he does. Those pre-mature babies just might have been helped by one post-mature baby. He really is his mother's son.

So for tonight, I can find no fault in my son for delaying his entry into the world. Because just maybe his stubbornness is just his first foray into the philanthropic arena his mother has made her name in.

And, for the first time, I am proud of my son.

Even though he is still hurting Mommy's back.

(Sorry if you were looking for some funny hazing of my unborn child. Tomorrow, if he's not out, I'll rip this kid a new one. But for tonight, I'm still enjoying helping a worthy cause.)

(And my wine buzz.)