Great Emergency of 1967

When a family lives across the street from one another for over 48 years, you are going to face some difficult times together, celebrate happy times together, and then you will have those dreaded times to get through together...the emergencies.

For the Hitchcock & Sanders Families of Montgomery, AL, it was the Great Emergency of 1967 that we all remember.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Our house was unique in that there were no 'boy' or 'girl' jobs....there were so many of us that we all just did whatever needed to be done. Early in May of 1967 was the year that John was born. Was that the great emergency? No, he just joined the rest of the pack. Late in May of 1967 Mother had to go back to the hospital for some problems that developed. Was that the Great Emergency of 1967? Nope. But it did happen while she was at the hospital. Here was Daddy who mowed lawns, cooked like all get out, had no trouble doing anything at all.......

4:17 AM. Daddy dials the Sander's home. Grace answers.

"Grace," Daddy whispered, "I have an emergency. Can you come right over?

Grace slid into her scuffies, threw on the old chenille bathrobe and flew across the street, sure that something was wrong with Mom and what could it be? She couldn't be dead....and about that time she hit the back door and flew into the kitchen.

Daddy was standing there with John. "Bill what's going on with Pat? What's the emergency?"

Daddy looked sheepish. "Grace, there is no other way to say it but I can't change a Number Two Diaper."

He obviously was embarrassed and didn't want anyone to know that he had had to call Grace and she changed John's Number Two Diaper.....so obviously that had to become Grace's favorite story. All families have favorite stories....whether they are blood kin or chosen kin. Thank goodness we have both kinds.