Crazy Eights
One night back when I was waiting tables, a couple came in with their newborn baby and then the grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins all started arriving and we had this big table full of family that took up an entire quarter of the dining room. I say “we” because I was right there with them through every new arrival, dropped fork, another chair needed, new napkin, and drink refresh, not because I was actually sitting at the table. The baby was a little girl, completely adorable. Her name was Stevie.
She was named after Steve Young of 49ers fame, her parents’ and her grandparents’ favorite quarterback of all time. As I brought salads and dinner and later dessert, I got to hear Stevie’s story. She was born on the 8th, which was Steve Young’s jersey number. And she was born at 8 p.m. after 8 hours of labor. It took them longer to get to the hospital that day because of an accident on Route 8. The nurse who helped deliver baby Stevie used to be a Young. Not of the football family, but growing up, her maiden name had been Young.
And the connections got more and more elaborate as the night went on. Some seemed oddly coincidental to me, and I don’t really believe in coincidences. I mean, I believe they exist and all, like ghosts and angels and dragons and good luck, but I think they show up for a reason and when they do, you need to pay attention to them. (I also watch a lot of crime shows where you know every coincidence needs to be investigated.) Anyway, some of these coincidences were fun and exciting and others were hilariously far-fetched.
“Don’t forget about our room number!” the new Dad said.
“Oh, that’s another one!” the new Mom agreed. Their hospital room number—no, it was not 8 or 88 or even 888. It was 116. This story took the new parents a long time to get off the runway. But one plus one plus six is eight. Another coincidence!
The point is, if you look for magic, you start to find it everywhere. So why not look? I’m not saying hunt it down, shoot it, and drag it back. But you know, look. Because the more often you look for magic, good luck, money, sunshine, green Jeeps, the more you’ll find them.
And even though the whole evening was a little bit nuts, it all made for a great time. Everyone was laughing, smiling at the baby, and truly celebrating this little life. So what that they were reaching? So what that they would go to such convoluted lengths to give baby Stevie ties to her namesake? In the end, she’s surrounded by good people who love her, well, like crazy. It doesn’t get much better than that.
