Someone I know is becoming a mother for the first time and the conversation got me thinking about the magic and wonder of childbirth. I wrote about it some years back in an essay titled “The Blarney Stone,” which was dedicated to my son Jude and then-wife Molly. The piece first appeared in the Palo Alto Review, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and was later in my Bothering the Coffee Drinkers book. I just re-read it and it holds true. And, the magic continues to this day, albeit in different forms. Here’s a link to a pdf of the essay, as well as a couple shots from those times (yes that’s me).
I give you and all the moms and dads current and to be…
(first ever picture of Jude Aaron Hoekstra)
Doug Hoekstra 