YOU RUN AND YOU RUN TO CATCH UP WITH THE SUN

BUT ITS SINKING

You sainted readers who are checking in at Vacation From Home expecting another installment of our travels through some very small Greek islands, I have to digress today. Today is my daughter’s birthday. She is now 40. I guess you can call that middle-aged, but I would never level that accusation to her personally, lest I am flattened by her feisty vitriol. It is that feistiness that I’ve passed on to her that makes me happiest, because rather than lamenting the passage of time we both embrace the opportunities a new dawn brings us. Afterall, the alternative is bleak.

She is my first born and that always comes with a cache of pride.

Her birth was a bit tumultuous as we got to the hospital at 1:00 pm and she arrived less than an hour later, much to the chagrin of the nursing staff and the OB-GYN doctor. We were in a birthing room (as young parents we had “planned” the event). But, when I tried to retrieve the boom box (yes, that was 40 years ago) to play soothing reggae music, the future ex-wife demanded I stay. The doctor wanted to move us to a more spacious OR, but my Lamaze training kicked in and as the HC I said the child was not going to be born in the hallway….it was happening that quickly.

The doctor gave me that patented dirty-doctor look and acquiesced. While telling the attending nurse to get supplies, my daughter exited her mother and he literally caught her.

Then peed on him.

Everyone was stunned with the speed of this “event”. My first words to the wife were, when we learned it was a girl, (we were expecting a son): “Honey, we’re going to have to pay for the wedding.”

I opted not to cut the umbilical cord and the doctor had the blood splay across his scrubs.

When the nurses finally cleaned her up and wrapped my daughter in a blanket and cap they presented her to me. My wife was in the throes of anguish and my daughter hearing her voice began to cry.

I said to the as yet unnamed human in my arms, “Don’t worry little girl, I’m your father. I've got you, and you are safe.” She opened her eyes, a minute old and sighed, comforted by my voice, and went right to sleep.

Happy birthday to my daughter, long may she ride. She will always be safe with me.

Thanks for reading.

Love, always greg and Janet

Hawaii

© 2026 by Gregory Dunaj