The one with the birthdays

Thu, Dec 25 2008 by Vanessa.

Today is Christmas Eve, one of my favorite days of the year.  Each year, since the day I was born, Christmas Eve found my family and I singing Happy Birthday, opening presents and generally celebrating the fact that we made it another year.  My aunt Carol’s birthday was Christmas Eve, so never an excuse could be found for not celebrating December 24.

Carol loved her birthday.  Starting the day after Halloween (give or take a week or two) Carol became rather “difficult” to live with.  She knew her birthday was on the way, however, given the inability to read and interpret a calendar she found herself lost in a sea of “is today my birthday?”  I can’t even imagine the frustration that she must have felt each year.  Watching stores display Christmas decorations, making her way slowly through each snowstorm, listening to Christmas Carols and yet never quite knowing if today is the day. The funny thing is that Carol could not understand the meaning of a calendar but always knew which soda dispenser had Pepsi.  She never understood FICA, taxes and health insurance but always found great pride in receiving her paycheck which usually totaled no more than $5 or $6 per pay period.  Carol’s brain may not have possessed the ability to solve world hunger but she knew more than enough about this world to teach me a lesson or two. Read the rest of this entry »

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