605 Happy Birthdays

Tomorrow we celebrate their birthdays. One of the unfortunate things about having a birthday within 3 days of your only sib is you never get your own holiday (after you're out of the birthday party stage). I think once when the children were adults we tried having two family get-togethers in one week plus Thanksgiving, and I believe they quickly decided that was just way too much togetherness.

This year, one birthday falls on Thanksgiving, but there have been years when we've done Thanksgiving dinner and the combined birthday dinner on the same day, and some years when we've gone to Indiana so a big, loving extended family could make a fuss over them and sing "Happy Birthday."

Our son is getting a garage door opener (also from his sister and brother-in-law and it is part of his Christmas present too), and our daughter is getting movies from Best Buy. I'll be setting the table with my good china, given to me by my mother, piece by piece on my birthdays and Christmas, year after year until I had enough to set a nice table. I still buy Christmas china for my daughter. I'm fixing an 18 lb. turkey, mashed potatoes, fresh green beans with bacon, onions and mushrooms, tossed salad with spring greens, cukes, tomatoes, olives and carrots, hot rolls, and applesauce pie.

One year, I don't recall when, Mother decided we didn't need birthday presents anymore--I was probably in my 40s. I was sort of disappointed. Birthdays and Christmas presents aren't about need, but Mother was very practical. And I am too--else why would I be buying a 36 year old man a garage door opener? But I want him to push that button, watch the door go up, sit in his warm car, and think of me, just like I think of my Mother when I get out the china.


1969