Love conquers all

ALEXANDER-THE NOT SO GREAT
 
Alexander the III, the Great Alexander, was born in 356 BC. One of his small accomplishments was to become King of Macedonia. Now  2356 years later he is still considered to be the greatest military genius who ever lived. Even if I had been around way back then, I would never have dared to refute his strength and brilliance. He was a man through and through.

 

Our Alexander was born at a most prestigious, exciting moment around the world. Things that were going to happen to computers, to businesses, to clocks, didn't happen but the birth of our son, to whom we had assigned the name Alexander, is born the very second Greenwich Mean Time turns the year to 2000, a new millennium. Fifteen seconds later his sister emerges. They are the first twins born in 2000 and become world celebrities. Every t.v. channel in the United States and Canada flash films of me in bed with the twins. Emails and calls reach across the oceans. Even little Wabash where I was born thirty two years ago makes the news.

 

Congratulation gifts flood our house. Name splattered cartons of Pampers arrive. Gerber's baby foods will be stored in our basement for a few months while the twins get personal nourishment from me. Shampoos and soaps, powders, a crib that must be assembled and a bassinet are gratefully accepted, but Buddy and I had been prepared for the twins and donate duplicates to the Red Cross. They promise to pick up and give to the needy. I feel a bit of distrust in this plan but have to do something and do it quickly.

 

An email from the Pope arrives, translated to English, wishing us peace and joy. Little does he know Alexander will have his Bris, be circumcised in five days. Rabbi Steinhorn will recite the traditional prayers and Mohel Weinstein will do the simple cut, give Alexander a piece of gauze that has a bit of wine on it to ease his pain. I cannot watch the ceremony. Buddy, standing next to the Mohel, falls over in a dead faint. He is revived quickly. His embarrassment becomes a joke.

 

More gifts pour in from our friends. The best ones are offers of help so I can relax, breathe easier now and then. Sharon, our sixteen year old niece, is giving us free sitting service for three months. That is a blessing fine enough to come from the rabbi. We are not hogs and accept no more than one evening a week.

 

The babes seem to grow like weeds. They are twins but very different. They do not have any physical similarities that we see so far. Alexandra turns over faster than her brother. She babbles and gurgles more, starts eating baby food sooner. Alexander eats but spits it out while her little mouth seems to smile as the mashed peas, custard slide easily down her throat. Dr. Wolfson, their pediatrician, has noted that our son is growing a bit slower than our daughter but tells us not to worry. Of course, we worry. If it is nothing, why did the doctor mention it at all?

 

'Quick, come here, Buddy!' I call while he is still dressing for work. As he tears down the stairs, I realize my tone must have been frightening. 'Look, Alexandra has pulled herself up from her playpen, is holding on and walking around it. Aren't you excited?' Buddy says nothing. As he leaves us both in the den, I see a worried look on his face. He goes upstairs and I hear him talking to Alexander who is awake but just lying quietly in his crib. 'Grab my fingers, hold tight. One foot, then the other.' I feel bad. My joy seeing Alexandra testing her legs vanishes. Buddy and I try hard to show no favoritism, but it doesn't work all of the time. I have less control than he does and know I get carried away.

 

As we thought might happen, the day comes when our son says 'Mama, Dada, gimme, No, I won't' weeks before dainty Alexandra. He sits erect, turns the pages of all the magazines, books within his reach.  I give him my attention. His word usage begins to flow. I show him pictures of all of the presidents of the United States and he learns to say them quickly, memorizes them with ease. Buddy is in heaven. So am I but why isn't Alexandra progressing? Dr. Wolfson is appalled at us, comparing our children, tells us to stop. We do try but it is impossible.

 

What we realize eventually is that Alexander's mind is growing far faster than normal. By the time he is 3 he can name every state in our country alphabetically and spell most. That is far more than I or Buddy can do. Not once does he mess up Misssissippi. I do believe that god, our god, any god, is touching Alexander. We leave his name alone, finally begin calling his sister just 'Alex' when she is ten.

 

He doesn't like sports, silly movies, books that are too simple. By fourteen Alexander is accepted at Harvard, goes on and becomes a Rhodes scholar.  His younger sister, Alex, grows into a lovely young woman, marries and is happy.

 

Buddy and I talk it over, never regret Alexander not playing baseball, fighting battles, becoming the president of the United States.

 

He found his own way and has made us proud.