1981-04-01
1981: Kathleen is born January 4th, over winter break, shortly after the Falcons lose to the Cowboys in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. My life on this planet free to worry only about myself is over at age 23, the same age my mother was when I was born. Au revoir, Part Three. Hello, Part Four–which I have no idea will last forever. I take a week off from school, drop criminal law, which I will pick up during the summer, and then it’s back to the books. In the mornings, a baby nurse I met at the hospital comes to the house. In the evenings, I study with one foot on the stroller. My mother comes on Mondays, leaving us with a crock pot of dinner–the same crock pot that is still in my kitchen. At the end of my first year, I emerge tied for number 17 and am invited to join the Georgia Law Review. Lady Diana marries Prince Charles. Lionel Richie and Diana Ross sing Endless Love. T is often gone for classes that take place in a different city. Things between us deteriorate. I suggest he drive home each night. Too much trouble, he says. Over Christmas break I find a receipt on a table for a piece of jewelry I didn’t receive.

36 days to 60

~

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
Mary Oliver