The birth of a baby, a grandchild, inspires us to behave better. Remember that
Is there a happier place than the hospital hallway of a newborn nursery? I think not. In those passageways of pastel-colored walls, our hope and joy — and relief — float and flutter like the better angels we can all be.
I know this because I’ve been a resident of that special dimension several times, and with every single experience I’m inspired and energized, ready to do good and behave better, to inspire. If only we could bottle that emotion. I’d call it Eau de Bebe.
I wore that scent with pride just days ago when my youngest grandchild was born, 7 pounds and 9 ounces of pure loveliness. He is precious beyond words, a messenger of light and promise. What can be more uplifting than the image of a wailing infant in a see-through bassinet, flanked by a nurse and your own (now grown) baby?
And those conversations between strangers! So much more refreshing than the endless political arguments and cultural wars that have overtaken our society!
“Which one is yours?” “Boy or girl?”
“Look at all that hair!” Of course, my little guy was the handsomest of the bunch, but I was smart enough to keep that fact to myself. (Why tempt envy?) He was also the smartest in that nursery. Actually, I could tell, from all that flailing and red-faced wailing, that he was the most developmentally advanced as well. Just pointing this out because I have — as an abuela many times over — a lot of experience in this department.
Speaking of experience. I’ve been a voyeur at newborn nurseries for the birth of all of my eight grandchildren, seven times total since identical twins were my introduction to grandparenthood. I’ve also been at the hospital for the birth of my niece’s child, for my nephew’s, and for both of my youngest sister’s. The awe and wonder never lessen. Each and every one is a miracle.
This August baby was the first on my side to be born out of town, but I wasn’t about to let physical distance break my streak. After my son called at 2:30 a.m. to say his wife’s water had broken, we waited until first light to head northward. (Our bags had been packed for a week in preparation.) With The Hubby navigating and me at the wheel, I-75 seemed to stretch on and on, every mile a crawl, every traffic slowdown an annoyance beyond explanation. Never mind that I knew a first baby is rarely in a hurry to enter the world. Impatience was riding shotgun.
Then, once at the hospital, there was the interminable wait. The endless analysis of contraction times and dilation progress. The short visits, one grandparent at a time, into the labor room to cheer on the glassy-eyed parents. And, of course, the prayers, always the prayers. Modern medicine may have made birthing safer, but it remains dangerous in so many ways.
By the time we got to admire the baby at the nursery, we had been awake almost 20 hours, but the lack of sleep couldn’t subtract a single second of happiness. Nothing would have. He was so perfect and perfectly tiny.
As I write this in my son’s house, his dog at my feet and his sleeping infant within arm’s reach, I find myself overwhelmed by such good fortune. However, I can’t help but remember the people who would’ve enjoyed this birth as much as I have. My children’s father never got to see his kids grow up and become parents themselves, and my late daughter, the eldest of five, would’ve surely doted on the new baby. For years, the new father was her living baby.
That said, I’m leaning, and leaning hard into the joy. If there is one thing I’ve learned on this twisty road of life, it surely is the necessity to savor both the sweet and the bitter of every moment.
Ana Veciana-Suarez writes about family and social issues. Email her at avecianasuarez@gmail.com or visit her website anavecianasuarez.com. Follow @AnaVeciana.
It will, on “Masterpiece” on Oct. 16. PBS says that in “six high-octane new episodes, aspiring detective Eliza Scarlet (Kate Phillips, ‘Peaky Blinders’) competes for cases, trades jabs, and even partners with her longtime friend/ rival, The Duke (Stuart Martin, ‘Jamestown’), as their relationship delightfully and maddeningly simmers on.”
Q: Is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical version of the 1950 movie “Sunset Boulevard” being made into a motion picture? If so, will Glenn Close portray Norma Desmond? A:
There’s no movie yet, but people keep trying. There has been talk on and off for more than many years about bringing the “Sunset” musical to the screen. (Close won a Tony Award in 1995 for her performance in the Broadway version.) In an April 2021 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Close said the movie was ready to begin production, that “we’re just waiting to get the final money together and to be given the final green light. I hope we’re shooting it later this summer.” Later that year, though, Webber told Variety that the production had stalled. Still, he said, Close “has been absolutely doggedly trying to get it made.” In May of this year, she told Variety, “We’re getting closer.”
Q: Can you tell me if the game show “The Hustler” is ever coming back? A:
After two seasons, ABC decided not to continue the show hosted by Craig Ferguson.
Q: When does the fall season of “Jeopardy!” begin? A:
The new round of telecasts starts Sept. 12. And before you ask about the hosting situation with Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik, here’s how executive producer Michael Davies explained it awhile back: “Ken will kick off the season in September, host the inaugural Second Chance competition and the heavily anticipated Tournament of Champions … His initial hosting run will take us through December. In the meantime, Mayim will host ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’ on ABC in primetime [beginning
Sept. 25]. When she takes over from Ken in January, the current plan is to have her host a couple of new tournaments as well as the Jeopardy! National College Championship and as many weeks as she can manage with her other primetime commitment to ‘Call Me Kat.’ We know you value consistency, so we will not flip flop the hosts constantly and will keep you informed about the hosting schedule.”
Q: I watched the final episode of “Animal Kingdom” on TNT and just hated it! Are they going to do another show to continue where they left off? There were too many holes in the ending. A:
There have been no plans announced about a continuation or a sequel to the series. Last year, TNT general manager Brett Weitz told Deadline.com that the “Animal Kingdom” finale was “so brilliant” and the kind of thing “we want to continue to do.” But in May, after TNT’s parent company WarnerMedia merged with Discovery Inc., Weitz left his job. And Deadline has reported that the merger has found TNT shifting from original scripted programs to “unscripted entertainment fare and sports offerings while continuing to rely on acquired content.”