A New Twist on the Ides of March
I’ve heard of the Ides of March and was aware of its connection with the assassination of Julius Caesar, a turning point in Roman history. But until a recent episode of Jeopardy!, I never realized it was associated specifically with March 15th. That date totally resonated with me because I have deep connections with it, a turning point in my own history. Learning that the day had been honored for centuries was very cool. And while the Romans associated it with doom and misfortune, I’m grateful that for me, the date is only partly gloomy, merged with joy and healing.
March 15, 1999
“It’s time,” I said as I woke Jerry. My contractions had gotten stronger and weren’t going away. We’d been down this road before – three times - so there was no immediate panic like you see on a silly TV show with people scrambling to leave the house. Jerry even started a pot of coffee before getting in the shower. I simply tried to find the least clumsy way to get my overgrown body out of our bed! Once our party of five was ready to go, we set out for the 12-minute drive to the hospital.
We excitedly walked toward the entrance, my waddle setting the pace. Jenna, 12, carried her tote with teen magazines and breakfast snacks. Jorgina, 6, hauled her Barbie backpack with coloring books and crayons. Three-year-old Joelle toddled in with her Winnie-the-Pooh backpack full of carefully selected prized possessions.
While it had been calm up until then, once the nurse in Labor and Delivery learned that my contractions were three minutes apart and that this was baby number four, everything shifted into high gear! Thankfully, nurses, doctors and technicians performed like superheroes and our son was born an hour and 15 minutes later.
Jared was a healthy bundle of joy and like each one of his sisters before him, immediately stole my heart. He wriggled his face revealing two deep, adorable dimples. Two angels must’ve left marks as they kissed him on his way into the world. The miracle of the beginning of a new life had once again overwhelmed me, but this time it was in complete contrast to the ending of another life exactly one year before.
My mom passed away unexpectedly on March 15, 1998. Seventeen months before mom was called Home, we lost Dad after briefly battling cancer. Experiencing two huge losses in a relatively short timeframe was life-changing for me. I felt their presence and, to this day, I still believe they were in the room welcoming Jared. I saw them standing side by side admiring their new grandson. Their images were vague. It was brief, yet calming, and as quickly as I had noticed they were there, they were gone.
Jared’s middle name was chosen to honor my dad. I don’t know what the odds were that his birth date would also honor my mom, but I’m guessing they couldn’t have been very high.
Each March 15th, warm memories of my mom help me celebrate Jared. Pride overrides sadness. Joy dominates mourning. If a Jeopardy! clue was: “Since March 15, 1999, the Ides of March bring her healing and comfort.” The answer (in the form of a question) would be, “Who is Joanne?”