New Boy!

Here is Seattle Brooks Bazely, a few minutes old, my newest family member, my great nephew. He's an Australian citizen, how amazing! He's a poster boy for government health care. Look at those beady watchful eyes. He's thinking about what the USA, his other country, will decide about the many challenges it faces.

His mother, Shady, spent a year living with us when she was eleven. Lots about that year were hard for us all but we put down the basics for a lifetime of caring for each other. I remember that when she went home to visit her Western family, I wept as I put her on the plane. She had become such a part of our lives I could barely part with her even for ten days. When I brushed her hair, I marveled at the roundness of the back of her head, so different from my own children's. I cooked dinner to the sounds of her practicing piano.

She ultimately married an Australian, a lovely man, and she became a professor of English in a university in Australia. She's written a book, become a fine musician and made Australia her home. From time to time she visits the United States and her western family in Seattle. She's also come here to Florida with her husband. We have visited them in Australia and they certainly showed us a grand time.

Two years ago for Thanksgiving we met Shady and Scotty in Wellington, New Zealand, where we were visiting New Zealand friends. How fun that was shopping for a traditional U.S. Thanksgiving in the Wellington markets. Some stuff was hard to find (Cranberry sauce?!) Many of us gathered in a strange ultra modern time-share overlooking the harbor. We had traveled to New Zealand with my brother and his wife, making our way from the north island all the way to the end of the south island. Wellington in the middle, and Thanksgiving for the expats was a treat. I was so excited to see our old friends from the U.S. and the big bonus of seeing Shady and Scotty.

We keep in touch, mostly by e-mail. And now Shady and Scotty have baby Seattle they are in love with! Shady was in the hospital for three nights and four days. They keep all new mothers this long. The labor was long and hard, but no knock out drugs, no Cesarean. In Australia and New Zealand and in most European countries, they keep new mothers in hospital until the milk comes in and the new moms get the support of lactation specialists. (Here in the USA you are lucky to be in the hospital after a normal birth for about twelve hours. Insurance.)

When I spoke with Shady today, five days after Seattle's birth, her midwife was just coming to check on the breastfeeding and the well being of baby Seattle. In the background I could hear those dear little chirps and sucking sounds. Shady will be on maternity leave for a YEAR! Scotty will have three months of paternity leave from his job.

Our young friends in New Zealand who have two small children are equally blessed by their health care system. One of their boys seemed to have some language delay. On their national health service, no problem, a speech therapist came to their house for several years. There was lots of support, and now this little boy is just fine, speaks as well as any young New Zealand citizen.

I can't help thinking that we in the United States are so sorely lacking in the care of our children. What is the matter with us that we do not take care of our kids?? Some on the extreme right holler about abortions, but I wonder what they are thinking about the kids that are actually here? We put children at the bottom of all priorities. How sad. How venal we are!

Today I went to speak to a group of forty Hispanic parents in our local school about nutrition. These low paid and unemployed folks care just as much as anyone about their kids, but they get no help. (I am imagining a scenario where a speech therapist shows up at one of the public housing units.) Couldn't happen here. This is the US of America where we love our scoundrels in the insurance and finance realms. And we do not really care about our children (our legacy!).

Sometimes, I believe that people are acting and reacting because of a t.v. mentality: everything's fake and plastic and so many can't think or question on their own and so take their opinions from talk shows that confirm their fears. Internet screeds feed their prejudices.

Meanwhile, I'm out to save the world, at least my little corner of it, by volunteering, giving and engaging. And, mostly, I try to remain humble and open to new ideas.

Seattle, welcome to a most difficult world. Your parents are so brave and optimistic! Perhaps you can make a difference. I am counting on you!