Just in the Nick of Time

News flash…I bitch a lot about my life online.  But my blog is an outlet.  I am less cranky in real life.

But on this day of Thanksgiving, I would be remiss were I to ignore the blessings I have in this life.

I am grateful for the usual suspects family, friends etc…  But I have written about all of that before.  So I am writing an alternative Thanksgiving Day piece today.

I am thankful that I live in the 21^st century.  Because of the toys, gadgets, homes and cars???  No.  I am thankful because had I been born much earlier, my life would be radically different that what it is.

Had I not been born in the 20^th century, I probably never would have made it to adulthood.  I would have been whacked by some nasty bacteria or dehydration.

But assuming I made it to adulthood, with similar circumstances, my life would be unrecognizable.

My son Ethan suffers with VACTERL Association.  He asked me a couple of weeks ago what kids with VACTERL did a long time ago.  My answer was frank: “they died.”  I am not sure he was expecting such brutal honesty.  But it was the truth.

Had Jenn not had Ethan in the last 50 years, he would have died days after being born.  If he were not born in the last 70ish years, he would not have been born at all.  He was breach.  Jenn would have died in childbirth and he would never have taken his first breath.

I won the birth era lottery!  Happy Thanksgiving!