Beautiful, Loved and Blessed

A New Realm

About two months later...

Push...just one more time...I see the crown! That's it...a healthy cry belted from the newborn's lungs.

"Welcome to this new realm beautiful one." I whisper to the newborn baby that I just helped to deliver.

"Here is your new baby boy Ms. Tyler."

"Thank you Jeanette, Thank you." Ms. Tyler says with tears in her eyes. She had been trying for years to conceive and today all of her prayers were answered.

As the youngest mid-wife in the Minneapolis area, my job was one of joy and sacrifice. Being a mid-wife and a single mother of a five year old has me pulling my hair out at times but seeing the joy in Ms. Tyler's eyes was a beautiful and precious moment. In that moment, my spirit was filled with an ethereal indescribable joy.

Brought back to reality all too quick was the buzzing in my scrub pocket. Refusing to be late, I set my alarm for 3:15 p.m. so I was on time to pick up my son Preston from summer camp. The last time I was late picking him up, it cost me $75.00 in late pick-up fees.

"Ms. Tyler, let's get you nursing immediately, so we can get that baby boy of yours some nutrients."

After 20 minutes of trying, the newborn finally latched onto his mother's nipple. Allowing my assistant to take over, I was able to sneak out, breaking the speed limit laws just a bit, to arrive at school on time.

"I thought I was going to get some extra cash today Ms. Devareaux."

"No ma'am, not today Principal Mueller." I said with a smile on my face.

Preston would be going to elementary school next year and Principal Mueller and I wanted to be a better impression. Initially, I planned on Preston attending the nearby Catholic school, but after enrolling him into The Ascension School summer camp, Principal Mueller informed me of the gifted and talented program that her school offered. My son is academically advanced, and the Catholic school didn't have advanced classes for him. After some great conversations with Principal Mueller, a kinship was formed. Like me, she was originally from Louisiana and had an eerily similar upbringing as mine. I'm from New Orleans, but she was from Natchitoches; however, we were both born into Louisiana Creole families with French Creole being our first language. Other commonalities included us being Catholic and we both graduated from high school early. When I told her that my great-grandparents were from Natchitoches, she thought my last name sounded familiar and after answering a few more questions, it just so happened that her grandmother and my great-grandmother were neighbors.

We were amazed at our similar stories and that we landed in Minnesota of all places. A failed marriage lured her to relocate to the Twin Cities and Hurricane Katrina forced me here. Even with the years between us, we both agreed that our culture ensured our endurance to not only survive, but thrive. Our conversations that day, felt like I was reunited with a long lost relative.

Enrolling Preston at in The Ascension School would ensure he received a well-rounded education.

Smiling she said, "Well it's still good to see you."

"Same here. Where were you this morning when I dropped Preston off?"

Whispering with excitement, "Honey, I was in the office thanking God for answering my prayers. I sent a letter home with Preston, but I want to let you know that the music program will still be ongoing."

"I thought you told me that the school lost its funding?"

"We did, but a private donor will be assisting us. All of the information is in the packet that I'm mailing home to the students. Preston's packet is in his book bag. I'm asking that all parents read over the information carefully. I know it's short notice, but I need an answer by Friday. The new music teacher would like to meet all the students before the school year begins."