I Am Beautiful: A Celebration of Women in Their Own Words

ackpageCarol HenryNO DISNEY, PLEASE!A baby-shower invitation also welcomesthe author's granddaughter to a brave new world.Big news! We're having a baby! Yes, you and I and you!That's if you agree it takes a village, and I'll assume you do.Our child will join Jacob with Julie and StuUp in Vermont, where the England is new.It won't surprise you to hear we're making new rules—Like I'm planning a shower for both Stuart and JulesGifting before the birth, hmmm...not sure what to think?Let's move on: How are you on baby boys who wear hot pink?Something else concerns you. I hear you saying, "Oy,How can I know what's an acceptable toy?"First there's the issue of the companies: Which exploit childlabor? Which kill trees?Which pollute the air and the seven seas?Which use animals as testees?And which are run—Cod forbid—by Republicans, please?Did the makers of car seats and baby carriagesLobby for or against same-sex marriages?Fisher-Price seems safe—oops; they use a lot of plastic.If an item is educational, are standards more elastic?Guns, of course, are bad...home-spun is goodOh, if I'd only learned how to knit with wood.Well, if you're really not sure about what to bringYou can say the hell with it and do your own thing,But know that in lieu of Bloomies, Saks and Tiffany,Julie/Stu have registered their preferences with—me!Clothes would be great; anything Disney would not.No stuffed animals, please (though no one's asked our tot).And if, by the way, you're thinking crib sheets and the likeI have to warn you: What crib? They'll sleep with the tyke.Books, bunting, bathing stuff would all make their day...Uncle Judd would too; perhaps you'll fly him in from Taipei.—Well, I hate to interrupt me while I'm on a roll,but I need to make some headway toward my goal.The date for this event is Sunday, October thirteenat neither 12:30 or 1:30, but precisely in between.My home and hearth will be our venue,call 555-1234 and tell me—can you?So now you're worrying about the food, I knowWill there be veggies only, will the beef be faux.Well, the soycakes will be fresh, the goat milk divineBut there won't be pigs' feet. (They're friends of mine.)CAROL HENRY is awriter for Gay Men's HealthCrisis in New York City.Louisa Ruth HenryStrothman, Carol'sfirst grandchild, wasborn last November.Pictured, left toright, Carol Henry,Julie, Louisa and Stu.60 O N T H E I S S U E S • S p r i n g 1 9 9 7