Gregory's Day

Good day!

Today is the birthday of Gregory, our second son. Gregory has gone on ahead of us, and is not around to hear our professions of love and affection, and appreciation for his presence.

Greg was born when Alexander was 2 years and 2 weeks ahead of him. He was the cutest little thing, larger and looser than his brother, with a fright-wig of long black hair that stood out around his head like a halo. When he was born the doctor absent-mindedly left some of the placenta inside of me, and after a time there were some tense moments while a nurse took care of the situation (the doctor being long gone.) Girls, it is a wonder sometimes that we made it to today, isn't it?  But by afternoon all was well and mother and son were resting well.

If it was a joy to have one kid, it was double joy to have two.  Interesting as they got a bit older to lie in your bed when you woke up and listen to them  sort out their future pecking order bit by bit.  Greg was larger (considering his age) but Alex was more determined, and they gradually worked it out in a situation that remained fairly stable for them for four more years till Ben came along.

As Greg got older, he developed his music and his personality traits and humor that made him such a joy to be around. How can someone have all that going for him and still be diagnosed as a person with a "mental illness" when he is nineteen years of age?  I keep wondering.  Doctors or hospital people would keep telling me:  "We do not know how to diagnose (NB: medicate) Gregory. We don't know whether he has a psychosis or a neurosis, or what it is."  Well, he had Longoritis, dear doctors, the family ailment, with a free-floating anxiety, too much imagination (there's a name for that), depression and mania, and a feeling of insecurity.  I have of late years wondered if he did not have a touch of Tourette's--not the bad word parts, but the spontaneous movements part...but it is too late now to put him under a glass. I have the feeling that even now, thirty years later, they would not be able to pin down his condition to their satisfaction nor mine.  That didn't stop their medicating him, though.  Aye, there's the rub. There's the rub.

Gregory, funny guy, wherever you are in this universe, please remember us remembering you on this your day. And send us some more of your music and your jokes and your wisdom that shone on in spite of everything.   YAZZYBEL