Not Just Another Girl

It was Thursday morning August12, 1993. Becky was lying face-up on the examining table while the doctor was completing final preparations for the procedure that is called an amniocentesis. It was a small room cold and dark except for the light from the medical equipment and the monitor on which we would watch the activity.  Except I would not, could not watch. I have an aversion to needles and have been known to lose consciousness when catching sight of a syringe.  This needle was not a typical needle.  I was told it was longer and thicker which I imagined as about the size of a rifle barrel. So I sat in a chair with my head turned.

My wife Becky and I had waited till a bit late in life (late 30's) to have children; so there came higher risks and this procedure was to detect any abnormalities.  This child- still in the early womb- was to be our second. The first was a beautiful girl named Margaret who we would call Maggie.

As with any child there was much anticipation.  With this one we knew it would be our last.  There was one grandparent who was especially looking forward to this birth. My mother Jeanne was a bit anxious about this procedure because one of the things we were sure to learn was the sex of the child. Nana Jeanne wanted a grandson!  She had three boys of her own so she had a unique and special affection for boys. To make the situation more urgent, at this point her three sons had produced only granddaughters.  Becky's baby was her last chance. As a matter of fact,  I had just spoken with her Monday of her plans to drive down to Smyrna from Kentucky on Friday.  She would spend the weekend with us helping Becky with things around the house.

Jeanne Lenora Metzger

The procedure went well.  There was a moment when I heard the doctor say, "This will pinch a bit." Becky sighed and I got a bit light-headed. But it was all positive.  I would drive Becky home and continue on to work with relief that it all looked well with the child. We would now wait on test results. Nana Jeanne however would most likely be a little disappointed. The baby was another girl.

 Jeanne Faye Bosworth

It was early afternoon that same day and I was at our United Distributors company offices and had just finished placing all my customer orders for the day when my boss, Jeff Evert approached. I noticed he was looking a bit somber as he directed me to his office saying that I needed to take a phone call. Normally our switchboard operator would have just paged me over the PA system.  As soon as I entered the office he quietly exited closing the door behind him.

When I picked up the receiver it was my brother Hal on the other end. He said, "Brad you better sit down...... Mom was in a bad car accident this morning and she's gone." I think I became hysterical. It is somewhat a blur to me now and still painful, emotional.  What I would learn later was mystifying.

That morning as Becky and I were entering the doctors office my mother was dropping her car off at a Somerset, Kentucky auto shop to get serviced before her trip south the next day to visit us. At about the time of the medical procedure to check the health of our baby, my step father Alfred was picking up mom to take her home.  As they were pulling out of the entrance onto the highway, another driver t-boned their car on mom's passenger side. All accounts said she passed instantly.

I have come to believe there are no coincidences in this wonderful life we have. I'm not sure what the convergence of these two events mean. I do know we were compelled to name our new baby girl Jeanne.  I do know that her mom and I have also felt that our baby girl is and has always been somewhat of an old soul. I do know that when all the tests of the amniotic fluids came back our Jeanne was perfectly well and healthy. Though we lost mom that day, somehow it has always seemed she is never far away.

Today Jeanne turned 22 years. Happy Birthday Boo Girl!

Bradford Bosworth

January 2016