BIRTHDAY

February 16th

Today I’m having a birthday.  It seems the past year sped by quickly.  I can’t fathom where the time went and all I did this past year.  I did accomplish a few goals but not as many as I hoped.  A few years ago I wrote that birthdays are your own personal New Year’s Day as it’s another year in your life.  Another year to make changes, begin again.  Many people have birthday parties; I’ve only had one in my sixty plus years.  That birthday was when I was in the first grade. At the time I lived with my mother’s brother and his family.  My aunt arranged a party with classmates being invited as well as a few others from my church school class.  I remember my favorite of all the gifts.  It came from a girl named Judy who was in my class at school.  The item was a small white, red and green plastic  lunch box with a tiny red thermos.  Inside the lunch box were lollipops.  I loved this gift.  There was something about this small lunch box that I found intriguing.   A few days later I shared the candy with two of my cousins.  I kept this gift until my mother had married my step-father and I had to live with her and my new step-family.  Somewhere along the way moving into this new home the lunch box was no longer among my things as well as a few other items.  I remember being told now that I was eight years old I no longer needed toys or stupid things; I needed to grow up and learn to do adult things.  No more play time for me.  I had to learn to do dishes, iron, hang laundry, clean, change bedding, sweep floors, sew, rake leaves, shovel snow and trim the edgings around the yard after the grass cut.  No longer did play time be part of my life.  I was eight years old. My step-grandmother became the one who took over my care along with my two step-siblings.  My mother worked a forty hour then plus at times.  I felt I missed a lot of my childhood.  I found solace in reading.  I read Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and anything girls my age could get their hands upon. Evidently reading was an okay way to pass the time as well as coloring in books when not doing chores.  How I missed playing with dolls and other fun toys.  Birthdays were just another day in our life.  Perhaps that is why I want to go out and enjoy my day as I got older.  It’s terrible to think I had no real childhood to speak about. We were not poor; both my mother and step-father had decent jobs.  It was the fact that the person left to raise us felt different.  I digress of course; back to my current situation.  Today I wore a headband tiara like a Queen and went out for a brunch and drinks.  Tomorrow I’ll do the same as I go on a veterans bus trip.  I don’t ask for gifts, but wish I could find a little lunch box with candy inside.  I’d share with others. 

Yes today is my own personal New Year’s Day. I have goals that I want to accomplish before my next birthday. Think about your own birthday.  Do you have one that stands out?  Or were you fortunate to have more than one?  Hope your memories are pleasant.  

Until next time....make each day be special.