This year, I celebrated a birthday milestone. On December 18, 2007, I turned 50 years old. While I had awaited this with great expectation, I had planned very special treats for various friends in the past and often pondered what they might do in return. I had imagined some great surprise, a big party or a special guest at the celebration; William Peterson (Grissom, CSI) was the best one I could think of.
While I pondered all this special attention to be made on me, my friends had something much more subtle in mind. We had a small, low-key celebration a couple of weeks before at Steve and Margie’s house. Cake and a couple of presents, but I couldn’t believe that that would be all there was to it. Turns out, it was and it wasn’t. I guess I still don’t get it. With my birthday being so close to Christmas, it is better to do this earlier in the month, so that everyone could be there. Steve, Margie Jim, Linda, Mitch, Rick, Becca and Eva all sang “Happy Birthday” and Becca and Eva helped me to blow out the 50 candles! We had to do it twice, so they could take pictures.
But even with that sweet gift from my friends, I still thought something even grander was in store. Silly me! On the Sunday before my birthday, last Sunday to be exact; my son Josh treated me to lunch and a movie. We went to Ditto’s, one of my favorite restaurants and saw “I am Legend” starring Will Smith. I didn’t want to go to one of the larger theaters, so we went to Baxter Avenue for the matinee. He would not let me spend any of my own money; he even bought me a cup of coffee after the movie while we waited for our ride. You have to understand that this is my 22-year-old son, who up until this fall had not had much of a job to speak of. Now he is taking his mother out for her birthday.
Steve had told me a few days prior that he and Margie had wanted to take me out to dinner for my birthday. Okay, that was a nice thing to do. What I didn’t expect was that it would turn into a family celebration. When he picked me up, I asked if he had decided where we were going or was that going to be up to me. He said we were going to the Old Spaghetti Factory, downtown. And by the way, all four of the boys and the in-laws, well one of them anyway, plus children were coming, too. Okay, but I still wanted to know what surprise was in store for me.
We got to the restaurant and had to wait for a table, of course. Bit by bit the kids started showing up. Even Jim was there. What I hadn’t really considered was that the grandchildren were going to be there.
Much to my surprise, Joel showed up with both Haley, his stepdaughter and his new son, Caden, 4 weeks old. Now, Caden and I had not met and what a wonderful birthday surprise. I guess you can say this was one of the best birthday’s I have ever had. Haley, Caden and I just had the best time ever. While the rest of the adults ate and talked, we sat and made faces and played and were just silly. It was just what I needed.
