BABIES

Kathryn with Ben Windham, her middle baby

(Unless otherwise noted, the Kathryn Tucker Windham blog is written by her daughter, Dilcy Windham Hilley.)


​Like most people, my mother was a sucker for babies.  She would ooh and ahh over the precious little things and sing lullabies to them which, remarkably, they seemed to enjoy.  I say remarkably because Mother’s vocal talents lay in her storytelling, not in her choral abilities.  

Her first grandchild, David Windham, was not born until Mother was 70, so she had to wait a long time to pamper a grand of her own. Three years later, along came her second grandson, Ben Hilley.  In her eyes, both David and Ben were the most beautiful babies ever to be produced on the planet.

Of course, not all babies are beauties.  It can be difficult to find something truthful yet kind to say about newborns who have not yet developed their physical allure.  When she encountered such unfortunate babies, my mother had a standard comment: “Oh, look how nice the baby’s ears lie flat against his head!”

The doting parents were pleased with the compliment, and Mother had been kind.