Idris

Mom not only loved her children, she also loved having children. Because of both the former and the latter, she continued to have children until she no longer could (she was 42 when she had Sarah). If she had been able to, she would have had many more.

She believed that she had control over the sex of the babies she carried, and that she decided to have a boy-girl-boy-girl order. So, it was hardly surprising what my mother-in-law, Zakia, told me today. She told me that mom once told her that, had she been able to have another boy, his name would have been Idris (Ed-rees).

Here's to Idris, my imaginary brother.