August 1979

August, 1979

Pandemonium describes that day,
a family torn, broken apart.
The Judge hitting the gavel,
“Screaming order, order in the court!”

It was your response that would change,
the lives of everyone in that courtroom.
Three little girls down the hall,
were just minutes away from
becoming orphans, wards of the
state, but they could never imagine,
they just kept playing…….

You walked down that hall
directly towards us,
You looked directly into my
eyes, the words you spoke,
let’s just say they’re embedded
in my memory.

“Take care of your sisters and don’t let them
straighten your hair.”
You walked away; I became a ward of the state,
an orphan, August 1979.

Geriatric Pregnancy

Geriatric Pregnancy

I was watching an interview with Halle Berry yesterday, talking about her pregnancy at age 47. I was intrigued by the term used to describe her pregnancy. Apparently if you're blessed with a bundle of joy after age 35 the medical term used  is geriatric pregnancy.  A geriatric pregnancy is a term of the past, this term came around in the 1970's, during the 70's if a woman was pregnant at age 35 or older, she was considered elderly. In the 20th century many women are starting families later in life, 20 percent of women after the age of 35 start families.

I was 38 when I gave birth to my daughter. I'm a mother of two children; I waited until I got married to have my second child. I had my son at age 21, being a mother of a small toddler at age 41 brings me so much joy. I could never imagine accepting a term geriatric pregnancy if I decided to have another child. When I think of geriatrics, I think of nursing homes and the elderly. I don't think of myself or Halle Berry. I would have to say the term geriatric pregnancy is a term that should stay in the past. 

 I would like to congratulate all fabulous mothers 35 and older.