Happy Birthday!

The old guy turns old enough to collect social security tomorrow, January 7. He will be 62 years old, and he is glad to have reached this milestone after all he's been through the last several years. He wishes to celebrate his birthday by not celebrating, so we will pretty much honor his wishes.

While I grew up in a family that made a big deal of birthdays, Terry did not. His mother might bake him a cake, and his present from his parents, I believe the only one he received, was new t-shirts and jockey shorts EVERY year. Birthdays were "celebrated" on days when it was convenient, not the actual day. It's no wonder his birthday is not a big deal for him. Many times I have tried to have family gatherings in honor of his day like the rest of us do, but he really didn't enjoy them, and he is not comfortable receiving gifts and attention, so we kind of let it drop. The kids and I still get him gifts, and I usually bake a cake, but that's about it. Of course, it doesn't help much that his father died on Terry's birthday six years ago. It has virtually ruined his birthday for him, even now.

Most of our family members don't really understand his reticence to celebrate, but we respect it. He has told me he wants lots of doughnuts for his birthday tomorrow (he's going on a diet Tuesday), and Doug and Kellie are having us over for sloppy joes. We will celebrate when we finally get that social security that he has earned. I believe we have been told the first check will be deposited in the bank March 12. Meanwhile, we remember that life is good....