My North-born daughter

Last month our book club read the book "East" by Edith Pattou. It's sort of a Beauty and the Beast story, based on a Norwegian fairy tale--East of the Sun, West of the Moon. I didn't read it, I listened to it on cd. (One of the readers was Kirby Heyborne, who read the part of Neddie. That was an added delight!)

The mother in the story is very superstitious. One of her greatest superstitions is being concerned about which way she is facing as she delivers each child. She informs her husband that they will have seven children--one child for each point of the compass, except North. It seems that a "north-born" child is bound to be a wanderer, which she desperately wants to avoid. Well, it seems that Rose, whom the story revolves around, turns out to be a north-born. She is born several weeks early, in the woods, on a cloudy day. Her mother can't see the sun to get her bearings and only after the birth do they realize that she was, indeed, facing North.

As we were discussing the book, we came around to which way we were facing as our children were born. Who knows? But I quickly realized that, regardless of the direction I was facing, I have a North-born. (Now that I think about it, I must have been a north-born, as was my father. I love to travel, by car, plane, boat, whatever. My father was a real wanderer also.)

Sarah is my "north-born". We first took her to visit Grandpa and Grandma Hintze, by plane, to Washington D.C., when she was four months old. That was the beginning, and she's not stopped for very long since then. She's flown all over the country, driven from coast to coast at least three times. She accompanied us on our trip to Nauvoo, IL, and points between here and there this summer. She's been on every continent but two--Australia and Antarctica. If we could squeeze five into our quad room on our upcoming cruise, she'd be right there with us. Her passport is a thing of beauty! Her next trip is scheduled for this spring/summer--China! In the book, East, the mother was fearful of having a "north-born". I find it quite delightful. Here's to my north-born Sarah--Don't let the dust settle under your feet! Love you!