Good Things Come in Threes

They say good things come in threes: three wishes, three gifts of the Magi, and for my wife, Sara, and I, three children. In August, we welcomed a third child to our family—a daughter—Rosanna Graham Hagenbuch. She joins her older brothers, William (age five) and Henry (age three).

When naming Rosanna, Sara and I took inspiration from our shared life together. In 2008, I moved to Oakland, California and lived near the Morcom Rose Garden. The garden is nestled in a small ravine. The sides of the ravine are shady and dotted with tall trees, while the floor is open and planted with several thousand rosebushes. During my first year in Oakland, I would walk to the garden and spend hours on the phone speaking to family, friends, and Sara.

Cascade at the Morcom Rose Garden in Oakland, California, 2008

After Sara joined me in California, the rose garden became an important stop as we strolled hand in hand. On a bench under the trees, we would talk and enjoy the delightful flowers. It was here in June of 2009 that we were engaged. Rosanna’s first name is a nod to the garden where our love blossomed and a celebration of our beautiful daughter.

Rosanna’s middle name honors a beloved neighbor, Ellen Graham McKinley. Since childhood, Ellen has been known by her middle name, Graham, to distinguish her from her mother who shares the name Ellen. Graham and her husband, Tom Simonet, are good friends of our family here in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

With our previous children, I conjectured what their birth might say about their personalities. William arrived promptly on his due date, while Henry came a few days after it. By comparison, Rosanna seemed in no hurry to be born. Her due date came and went. Days passed and then a week. Finally, nine days after her due date, she joined our family. It seems she is already living life on her own terms and at a very leisurely pace!

Watercolor of roses by an unknown Pennsylvania Dutch artist, c. 1850. Credit: Free Library of Philadelphia

After a brief stay at the hospital, Rosanna came home to meet her brothers. They welcomed her with open arms and both wanted to hold her. Each was given the chance to do this. Rosanna appeared to be fond of them too, smiling when she heard their excited voices.

A few months ago, during a doctor’s appointment, I mentioned to a nurse that my wife and I were expecting our third child. The nurse commented that three was an unusual number of children to have. “Really?” I replied. I have two sisters and my wife, Sara, has a brother and a sister. We both come from families with three children. We view three as a perfect number, containing an elder, middle, and younger sibling.

Brothers William and Henry watch over their sister, Rosanna.

Upon further consideration, I believe the nurse may have meant that three is an uncommon number of children to have today—which is certainly true. The average birthrate in the United States stands at 1.6 children born per woman. This is half of the three Sara and I have in our family and an eighth of the 12 children fathered by Andreas Hagenbuch (b. 1715) in the 18th century.

Three has long been recognized as a significant number. In geometry, the three-sided triangle is known for its balance and, when used in construction, its ability to distribute weight and create strength. Many of the world’s religions contain a spiritual triad. Christianity has the Trinity comprised of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then, there is the rule of thirds for composing images. Using this principle, a landscape painting might depict the blue sky in the top third of the canvas, a green field in the middle, and a row of trees at the bottom.

The composition of this photograph at the Hagenbuch Homestead follows the rule of thirds.

Sara and I feel fortunate to have two sons and a daughter. As parents reading this will recognize, raising children is neither easy, nor for the faint of heart. Sibling arguments, over-dramatic whining, and injuries of all sorts are par for the course in our family. Yet, these seem like minor hiccups compared to the abundance of hugs and kisses, outpourings of joy, and creative moments that we experience together.

No life is perfect, and this year has been especially challenging for our family. Still, with something lost, there is now something gained. Rosanna’s birth brings newfound happiness to our little corner of the world. She is our lucky number three, and her arrival opens the next, sweet chapter in our Hagenbuch family’s story.