Our Daughter Diane

Last but never least, Diane …  

This story is about our first-born. Her name is Diane. We affectionately call her, Dee.

My husband Ken and I became overwhelmed with joy upon hearing we were pregnant with our first child. My parents were going to be grandparents for the first time, and even though my in-laws had many grandchildren, they too waited in happy anticipation. Now, what to name the baby was an entirely different story. Everyone had their favorite names all picked out and each one made their choice known on almost a daily basis. Since our first child was going to be born in the spring, I liked the name Robin but the father of the anticipated baby coyly said it would constantly remind him of a worm eating bird. Therefore, that name went down in flames.

Okay, next came my in-laws. Wonderful people if I do say so myself. However, when it came to naming the baby they too came up short. We heard, how about … Roxanne, Roxie, Lucy, Lillie, Ginger, Grace, Annette, Ann, Annie, Anne Marie, Annemarie, Rosemarie! Marie, Mimi, Mary? No, no, no, no, no!  This went on for months. Nine to be exact.

On June 1 my labor began and as the pain became increasingly excruciating I kept telling myself that it would be over soon. No such luck. ‘Soon’ never came. Ah, how time flies because before we knew it a mere 27 hours, 43-minutes and 12 seconds had passed and we had ourselves the most beautiful baby girl in the whole-wide world.

Yet, the name saga continued because Ken and I could not agree.  

Enter my father. Second day in the hospital father and mother walked into my room. Dad sat down and asked if we had named the baby yet. Ken and I shook our heads and sighed. Nine months, father exclaimed. Nine months and you two can’t come up with a name? Okay, he said, I just saw her in the window of the nursery. She’s very special, my father said. “Brand new; just born and she picks up her head and looks right at me and smiles!” Then my father paused for what seemed like an eternity then he suddenly blurted out, “the baby’s name will be Diane Carol and that’s that! And just like that! It was over. We all agreed her name was absolutely perfect.

As the family watched our little girl grow up we all realized she was very special. As a child, she had a happy-bouncy attitude and “a bit of the minx in her” as my dear mother in-law would say. As she grew into her teen years, Diane somehow made you smile even if you were feeling down. As a young adult, Diane could keep herself and others calm even in the direst of circumstances.

“Our Diane has certainly turned out to be a problem solver, don’t you think?”   

To this day, Diane remains a positive influence on others. Diane also has a beautiful singing voice and she’s acted in many local theater productions. We are so fortunate to see Diane grow into a magnificently accomplished woman. Yes, we can say that our dear daughter turned into an exceptionally successful person in the business world but there is something more amazing and wonderful about our daughter Diane. With one look she can take your breath away. With one look she can make the whole world right again. With one look she can melt away all your hurts. With only one look.  That’s all it takes. We love you honey. Always will.