“Birth is the sudden opening of a window, through which you look out upon a stupendous prospect.  For what has happened?  A miracle.  You have exchanged nothing for the possibility of everything.

— William MacNeile Dixon

There is not a more resounding “yes” in the universe than the birth of a child.  In only one week, millions of people will celebrate the most famous birthday in history — Christmas; but since that birthday is still a week away, I will tell you about another celebration.  Last night I had the pleasure of sitting surrounded by my children and grandchildren at the dinner table where we celebrated the 23rd birthday of my last baby, Emily.  There was a lot of laughter and  some cupcakes with candles.  One by one her brothers and sisters presented her with gifts and cards as we remembered the little girl she once was and enjoyed the sweetness of the young woman she has become.  ”Open the wallet one first…you will be so surprised!” they told her, teasing about the time on her mother’s birthday when a twinkly-eyed little girl let the cat out of the bag without even realizing it.  Now that she is no longer five, Emily has become better at keeping secrets; and last night she dedicated part of her birthday to a secret she was able to keep.

Her final gift came from her brother, Dan.  He had designed and printed a  homemade card on his computer; and as Emily began to read it, she laughed out loud and noted that the inside of the card was printed upside down.  ”Here, Mom,” she said, “read it so everyone can hear it.”  She went about opening her brother’s gift — some earrings — as I began the dramatic reading  with, “Happy Birthday, Princess!”  Inside was a message of love from Dan and his family; and I read that, too.  ”P.S.,” it concluded, “you’re going to be an aunt again.”

“Open the wallet one, Mom…you will be so surprised!”  And I certainly was!  Another grandbaby!  What could be a better gift?  I think back twenty-four years to the news that Emily was on the way.  She was my fifth child, and I wondered whether I was just a little bit too old to be doing this again; but as always is true when we hear that a child is on the way, I was filled with hope that bubbled over into excitement and told me that everything would be just fine.  There is no greater expression of hope than the impending arrival of a baby.  There was no wallet present at the party last night, but I left the celebration filled with the hope that can only be expressed by the news that another baby will soon join our family.  Again, the universe says “yes!”