My Little Golden Book of Phobias

We had a party in the park with cake and marimbas and balloons. It was a potluck too so people brought beautiful vegetarian food. It was our midwife party, an annual thing. No one went into labor. The very pregnant ones came and looked wistfully at the babies in front packs and back packs and strollers. And the air was so clean from the RAIN we had last night. Clean shiny beautiful rain. Everything was sparkly and gleam-y. Once a year we have a party and invite our clients. I love to see them, see how they've grown and see how their parents are faring. Parenting is effing hard. We always make jokes about baby spew and sleepless nights but deep in the night when your kid won't give you a break, you will reconsider your commitment-no hitting, no shaking, no leaving in a basket at the nearest church.

Then one day, they're grown up and doing things like buying cars and having their own children and having lives, all without you.

Good night all you babies. Tonight, be kind to your parents and sleep soundly. For hours.