Conference hydra::dejavu

    re: .0 
      
          Don't worry!  Just because it happens ocassionally doesn't
    make it a mandate.  Relax and enjoy the birthing process.
    
    Frederick
    

    Re .0 (A):
    
    It's a superstition that isn't backed by facts.  If it were so (i.e.,
    that births were balanced out by deaths, _whether within or outside a
    family_), there would be no concerns about overpopulation.  However,
    the population of the Earth has increased steadily, therefore, there
    must be more births than deaths.
    
    I wish your grandfather well.  Any you, and your newborn, whenever he
    or she is born, as well.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    First, congratulations on the baby!  My own kids are the joy
    of my life.
    
    Second, rest easy.  Births happen and deaths happen.  And 
    sometimes, in the same family, they happen close together.
    But there is no cause and effect relationship here.  Whoever
    told you "whenever there is a birth in the family, there's
    a death" is simply repeating an old tale.
    
    Joel
    

    I don't believe that either. It did happen to me. My daughter was born
    in April of 1975. My grandmother died in January of 1975. One week
    prior to her death, she said she wouldn't live to see my child born.
    (our first). She also said that she was going to ask God to send us the
    little girl we both wanted at the time. All of the old wives tales and
    doctors guesses pointed to a boy. ie Heart beat rate, height my wife
    was carrying the fetus, needle and thread rotation over palm, others.
    
    After she passed on, all the signs changed to female. Oh yeah, she also
    said the girl would look just like me and she does, even 15.5 years
    later. But, on her it works. :-)
    
    Now to set your heart and mind at ease, when my son was born, no one in
    either of our families passed away. This is one superstition that is
    just a lot of hooey. So don't worry and enjoy the blessed event that
    the creator force has given your family and my prayers and warmest
    healing thoughts for your grandfather. Mine were special and I'm sure
    he is too. 
    
    Phil

    
      Re .0 : Don't worry, your forthcoming happiness is not 'responsible' for
    any action or inaction w.r.t. your other relatives. Good luck and I hope
    you enjoy your new arrival too !
    
      I think that the superstition is based on the coincidence of birth
    and death rather than any specific relationship. I've noticed a number
    of similar situations and suspect that a lot of the background is due
    to people identifying certain features/habits/physical or mental attributes
    of the child with those of the deceased. eg., my niece has a particular
    way of spotting and picking up small bits of fluff etc., from the floor
    which was very similar to the way her grandmother did it. It's also the
    same as a number of other [unrelated] people perform the same action
    but because of the timing of the death/birth, the connection is 'proof'
    to those who are looking for it.
    
      Personally I suspect it is often more comforting to believe that a
    specific attribute is from a recently deceased relative in order to retain
    the happy memories associated with that person but it is very easy to
    accept the old wives tale : my father and my brother died within four
    days of each other last Easter and my son was born last Autumn ... so
    where is the "other" birth ? It appears that the difficulties in early
    pregnancy were because [ what would have been ] his twin died ...
    
    Frank
    
    PS : Anyone read the old SF story about the time they ran out of souls ?
         (Birth rate kept increasing after longevity drugs cut the death
         rate dramatically). I think it was Asimov but I'm not sure. (There
         again, there have always been soul-less people around ... :-)