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A Gift from Grandma
On the morning of March 22, 1995 my sister-in-law went into Los Robles Medical Center to be induced into labor. My husband and I arrived at the hospital in the late afternoon to be there for the exciting event. When we got to her room everyone present seemed to be in a state of shock. Let me tell you why:
At the change of shifts the head nurse, Charlotte, noticed my sister-in-law's last name and immediately paused. The last name brought back a memory of a woman she had once cared for twenty years ago at a hospital fifty miles away. Consequently, she decided to assign herself to my sister-in-law's care that evening. She entered the room and hesitantly asked my brother if he knew of a JoAnn. Stunned, he answered, "Yes, she was my mother."
Charlotte's eyes grew wide then he added, "Mom died twenty years ago of cancer."
To our amazement, Charlotte actually remembered my father, brother and me and throughout the evening she shared several endearing stories of the friendship she had developed with my mom for over a year.
Several hours passed and my sister-in-law was not making progress so a C-Section was performed and KyLee Ann entered the world. For the first time in over twenty years, the sadness I had felt on this day, the anniversary of my mother's death, was replaced with the joy of new life.
Two days later as Kylee Ann was being discharged, Charlotte came in holding a delicate white porcelain figurine of a large bird perched on a branch looking down at smaller bird.
"Your mother gave me this as a thank-you gift when I took care of her nearly thirty years ago. I've cherished it all these years. Now I pass it on to Kylee Ann - a gift from her grandma."
Terri Murcia
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