How a priest literally prayed me into being

As the only child of a much older couple, you’d think I would be spoilt but far from it; and it was mostly due to the circumstances of my birth.

It was their twenty fifty wedding anniversary and despite my mother’s protests, my father was determined to throw a big party which was unusual for a couple who were childless and not by choice. On that fateful day, friends and family joined them in church for the open thanksgiving before the reception. A visiting priest was celebrating mass that day and he came up to pray with them. Noticing they were alone, he asked where their children were and things got awkward. My father explained that children were not part of their many blessings and as he did this, my mother began to cry. The priest was mortified.

Without a word, he turned to the altar, removed his outer robe and threw it on the floor. Kneeling in supplication, he cried out to God, saying that he was sorry to have made such a hurtful mistake. My parents said he prayed that God would use the moment to bless them for publicly thanking Him even when their hearts ached for what they didn’t have. The next year, I was born – to an older man and woman who were shocked all through their pregnancy and until I made an appearance.

My mother claims that upon my arrival into the world, she promised God that she would raise me on a path of righteousness because she wanted to show Him that she would never abuse His blessings. So based on that promise, my parents treated me, not like an only child, but as the stubborn child I was. They doted on me too – they couldn’t help it sometimes – so it was a perfect balance.