Last day at 8

Asha steps into the big world of being 9 years old tomorrow.

How the world has turned 3287 times since the day she was born I cannot imagine.

As she continues to blossom, we can only be amazed at God's goodness to us.

It seems like just yesterday - well in real time it was just yesterday - that I was flying across the cold winter night between Delhi and Patna - hoping to get to the hospital in time for Asha's birth.

Despite the heavy fog of those days - the plane landed at 12 PM and I was met by Elias Bara and the hospital jeep for the drive down to Jharkhand and the Nav Jivan Hospital.

Dr. Colin Binks had found decreased fetal movement for Asha on the 15th of Jan and had decided that a C-section was in order for her. And so I dashed across to try and make it home.

Elias drove through the night and we arrived safely just after 7 AM on the 16th morning. A bouquet of flowers for Sheba, thankful prayers all around, a pint of blood from me for the forthcoming ordeal, and then at 9.30 Sheba was wheeled into surgery.

I was there with her when at 10.10 AM Asha entered this world with the sweetest cry imaginable.

And today we are at her last day of 8.