The story of our wait for a child began a long time ago. My husband and I dreamed of a baby, but the years passed, and the miracle still hadn’t happened. Doctors assured us that our health was perfectly fine, but advised patience.
During this time, we tried everything: diets, breathing practices, vitamins… Then came the folk remedies.
Grandmothers, neighbors, even random people at the clinic suggested the most unbelievable things: drink burdock decoction, use honey suppositories, and even wear lucky clothes.
“Do you have something lucky?” asked my grandmother on my mother’s side, a master of such mysterious advice.
I thought about it. Yes, I did have a lucky shirt — old, but dear to my heart. I had won a school contest in that shirt, and later, I even met my husband while wearing it. I added to it a warm and cozy winter hat.
We did everything as grandmother advised, and a few weeks later, the miracle happened — I found out I was pregnant! The indescribable joy overwhelmed us. And I thought: if lucky things helped me get pregnant, why not take them with me to the maternity ward?
When the contractions began, I panicked and packed my things. In the rush, I threw everything into one bag: the shirt and the hat.
At the hospital, something unexpected happened. I insisted that I be allowed to wear the lucky shirt and hat. The doctor first rolled her eyes, but after seeing my arguments (and a little cash), she gave in.
And so, I was lying in the ward when this nurse handed me the skates as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I walked around the hallways in those silly skates the entire time.
Before labor began, sitting in the pre-labor room, I noticed the other women in labor. They were all wearing regular hospital slippers!
When the labor started, I, forgetting everything, screamed:
“Why do I need these skates?!”
The doctor, holding back laughter, replied:
“You asked for them yourself!”
And then I remembered my hasty packing. The skates had been in my bag — I had forgotten to take them out after a winter walk. Everyone around me was laughing, but all I could think about was one thing: I just hoped the baby would be healthy.
When it was all over, I was holding our long-awaited little girl. The laughter and awkwardness faded, and only joy remained. Now, when I look at those skates, they only make me smile — a symbol of the journey to happiness.
