Blog post by Randi Richardson
Randi and Nathan early 1972.
Christmas is typically a day when families gather to celebrate. I’d like to share with you a story of my most memorable Christmas. It was in 1971 with the arrival of a baby.
While most babies are born in a hospital, our baby came from the Glendale Mall in Indianapolis. We met a person from the agency at the agreed upon time in front of a store the name of which I don’t recall. It was mid-December and chilly. The baby was wearing a pastel green onesie that I still have nearly 50 years later.
The baby was handed to me, and my husband took him immediately. It was love at first sight for a father and his son.
We came bearing gifts as we were told to do. A white, soft teddy bear purchased in the hours before our meeting. Other than this, we had nothing for a baby as we learned that we would be parents only the day before. Hardly believing our good fortune, we didn’t so much as buy a diaper. The less invested we were, the less we would hurt if something fell through.
The lady from the agency left us alone at the mall for an hour or so. When she returned, she asked if we would like to keep the baby. Oh, yes! “Okay,” she said. “Go ahead home and we’ll follow up with you. Was this for real? Who gets a baby in a mall?
As we headed back to Bloomington we chose a name for our new baby. Not even bothering to stop at home, we headed to the home of Richard’s mother, Betty (Skirvin) Richardson, in Smithville. This was her first grandchild. On Cedar Bluff Road we were met by Richard’s sister, Cherie, who turned the car around and met us at Betty’s.
A few days later on Christmas morning, Richard’s little brother, Bryne woke up about 4 AM. Betty called us in Bloomington with a heads up. We hurried to Smithville to celebrate Christmas with family. What a memorable occasion!
What is your most memorable Christmas?
Michael Carter