On Our Way To Crazy

In honor of my birthday, today’s post comes to you from Mrs. Nelda Jean Smith, aka my awesome mom.

—————————-

I remember that summer vividly, as if it were yesterday instead of 26 years ago.

The summer of 1980. I know you’ve heard about it. Over a gazillion days of record breaking temperatures. The year that holds the record for the “hottest summer EVER!”

Imagine if you will a petite young lady as round as I was tall, with the coolest ’fro ever. After having dinner on a Saturday night, I decided maybe the pains I was having were not from overeating as I was prone to do – maybe they were LABOR PAINS. So off we went to the hospital in the middle of the night convinced we would be sent home for confusing labor with indigestion.

But we were wrong! And 13 ½ hours later the cries of the coolest cone-headed baby ever pierced the halls of Baylor hospital. Brandi An Smith came into the world at 3:29 p.m. weighing 7lbs. 9 oz. and 21” long.

She shrunk to about 19” once the point on her head leveled.

I named her after one of the best songs of the 70’s, but did she appreciate it? I think not. I can hear her saying “It’s a fluff name. Brandi with an I. No one takes me seriously.” I could have named her Shandelite Joy Marie (“Shandle, like candle!”) the way the woman in the next bed did. Fortunately, her Dad quit wearing his “Brandi is a Dandi” T-shirt before she was old enough to read. It appears to me she over came the burden and is someone who is loyal to a fault and definitely taken seriously. I like her smile.

Happy Birthday, Brandi. Thank you for letting me do the writing on the 26th anniversary of the hottest summer EVER!!

I love you,
Mom