Today is Heather's 34th birthday. Born in 1976 she was (what we called the babies of that year) a 'bicentennial baby'. Almost born on the 4th of July, too! I remember sitting at the fireworks display in Glenview on that hot July 4th, our last as a couple, and looking around at all of the families enjoying being together, knowing that our lives would be forever altered and I couldn't WAIT!
We brought her home and put her in the white crib with navy blue and lime green geometric design on the end. There had been another version of this crib with hot pink and orange design, but I thought it was not gender neutral and I worried about it being too girlie. HA! We had primary color elephants on the wallpaper. I would stand over that crib and look down at my sleeping angel and thank God.
Heather and I used to sit on the couch and watch Sesame Street together. She would cuddle against me and I would reinforce some of the things we watched. She always held my hand when we walked. She was my companion, and I was her mommy.
When Colleen came along, I was worried that Heather would suffer in some way - from jealousy, from lack of attention. But Heather adored her little sister from day one, and our family was enriched beyond measure. And with each new sister the love increased. Heather's gentle and loving nature was a definite influence on her sisters. Had she been different, the entire tone of the family would have been different.
As a little girl, she LOVED animals. Here is Heather, standing at the back door with a bunny in her hands and a look of pleading on her face. Here is Heather, frantic because she was just bitten by a snake she had picked up. (She survived - I however lost a few years of life.) Here is Heather with a salamander she discovered under the railroad tie surrounding her swing set. We kept that creature in an empty aquarium on the porch for months. I think even years. Mike would run to the bait shop to buy slugs and worms so Heather could feed it. Then there was a guinea pig. And Jack. The ferret. Lord help me.
Heather was (and is) a philosopher. In her freshman year she decided to adopt the name 'Aristotle' to express her penchant for seeking truths. She may have considered herself to be a square peg. She was just a normal teenager, with the normal angst. Perhaps her innate maturity caused her to feel different from the others. She WAS different - because of her empathy for others and her intelligence. But those years were not without challenges. "Heather, why do I smell smoke on you?" " Mom I've been sitting in a car with people who were smoking." That worked until the time I saw our blue Dodge Caravan parked in the Jewel lot with kids inside. I drove over to say hi and caught Heather, cigarette in hand! She was so stunned she slid out of the driver's seat with the car still in gear - it almost lurched through the glass window of the Hallmark store! I laugh about it now.........
Heather went away to college, and never really came home. The loss was so devastating I was driven to poetry. (See the very first blog entry, inspired by that occasion.) Her graduation from ISU was huge for me. The pride I felt - just thinking about it now I have a lump in my throat. She was a beautiful young woman with the world at her feet. Shortly after graduation Heather married the love of her life Steven Theodore Zydek, and they embarked on their journey together. They moved to Champaign and Heather began grad school Her master's thesis (journalism) was a comparative piece on the churches of the Champaign/Urbana area. (Still the truth-seeker) One of her interviews was Fr. George of Three Hierarchs Orthodox Church. Everything she learned from Fr. George struck a chord with Heather. Here were some of the answers she had sought. She and Steve delved into this faith and it was a fit for them - they became Greek Orthodox. A bit different for us, but I understood. (As the child of a Jew and a Catholic, I understood the need to find your true faith.)
So now Heather and Steve are living in Milwaukee with their three beautiful daughters. And Heather is still inspiring and teaching me every day. She is still that beautiful blue eyed little girl who cares about animals and people and the world around her. She has created a beautiful home for her family. She is an English teacher, making a true difference to young college students. She has helped organize a successful farmer's market in her home town. She has written children's' books. She has raised Luna moths. She learned how to play drums and formed a band with Steve. She is a gardener, creating an oasis of beauty in her yard - complete with compost area and rain barrel. She has a solar panel on the side of her house so she can reduce her reliance on electricity. She has done so much for so many, and continues to do so every day. She constantly surprises me with her talents, but the best talent of all is her kind and caring nature.
Happy Birthday, Heather. I love you.
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