Sugar 'n Spice 'n Everything Nice

It was on this very day that I was born. Of course one must now count decades of time instead of mere moments which have passed. But, I remember the day quite clearly. Outside the delivery room window my first glimpses were of kindly squirrels, puppy dogs, and kittens peering in while butterflies flitted eagerly and softly. Song birds were pirched on the branch overlooking the advent of a little pink baby girl coming into this brand new world.

My entrance into the world of little pink bows and frilly dresses came as quite a surprise to my mom. I don't know if I should take the credit for sneaking in under the smoking gun or if dad should. It seems that his gun was supposed to be loaded with blanks but those blanks still packed quite a punch--and I happen to be the result. Perhaps that is why my dad loved me mostest of all us kids. I'm sure he did. The other kids may argue but dad always looked at me with a little different glint in his eye as if he were saying, with a big ole burly chuckle, "waaaHA HA HA!" No, no...that is a "WaaaHa ha" filled with pride at being able to complete that one last challenge--not a "waaahaha ha ha" as if to say, "oh my! look what I've done."

I remember the early days of my childhood with vivid recolection. I absolutely adored pink dresses with lots and lots of lace and ribbons. If I could get a dress with a big ole puffy pettycoat underneath I would think I were the princess of the world. Every morning I would wake up--even as a two month old!--and run to my mother so that she could curl my silky blond hair into lots and lots of ringlets. I was actually born with a waterfall of angelic blond hair. I loved to have my hair bounce with each elegant little girl crawl or step that I would take. OOOoooohhhhh...how I loved being a girl!

When I was FINALLY old enough to make it to preschool I thought life could get no better. I was the center of a regular gathering of little ribboned fluffy dressed girls who would chatter about all the things that our Barbie could do and all the places she would go. We would sit and admire each other's hair and freshly painted fingernails and daintily bowed little white socks. Snak time became a bother. I dreaded the Hawaiian Punch and cookies they would try to force down our tender little feminine tummies. I tell you!, give me a celery stick and a mirror and I would be happy for eternity--forget cookies and punch!

Life has been good to me. Puberty changed my life, of course. All of the expertise at becoming a young woman that had come into play since the day of my birth served me quite well as a young woman. Young men gathered at corners in the hallway at school just to catch a glimpse of me wafting by in my new turquoise dress with the little pink flowers scattered across the blue expance of my tiny five foot six 100 lb. frame. My silky blond hair was no longer in ringlets but now cascaded gently over my shoulders and down my back as would modern style dictate. The boys who were hiding at the corners would reach out to try to catch a floating strand of my golden locks just to feel it sliding through the palm of their outreached hand. If one were lucky enough to be The One, I would always turn and give him a taunting grin and a wink just to top off the main event of his day.

Yes, being a girl has brought me the greatest satisfactions of life. A life of uncomplicated ease, beauty, and grace. It was a good day to be born. I have so many wonderful memories of my childhood and they seem to get brighter and brighter with each passing day.

DISCLOSURE: Some of the events presented may or may not be true or factual. Names and incidences could be or may have been changed to protect the innocence of my mother or any other individuals who may be incriminated in the events of the actual birth of one Gay Wardell VanderLinden.