I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this in the past, but I consider my birthday to be cursed. It started with the first birthday I can vividly remember… my mother and her best friend crying, as President Kennedy had just been assassinated. I’m not going into a lot of detail, but so many bad things have happened to me and my immediate family, that I basically hold my breath and wait every year for the calendar to flip to November 23rd. I was afraid this year was going to be another horrible day, as my sister is dying of a rare type of infection, but luckily the day passed without incident.

It was a wonderful day. Of course because of covid, I didn’t go anywhere or do anything, but first thing in the morning, I got a phone call from my sister and brother-in-law, both singing a family tradition, “Captain Zoom.” It’s a quirky song that is meant for small children and my Dad always sang it to his two grandsons when they were small, and eventually sang it to all of us on our birthdays. Once he passed away, I took up the mantle and call our family members and sing it to them. It doesn’t matter that I can’t hold a tune….I think the thing that matters is it reminds us of our Father, and that always makes a special birthday memory.

A little later, my girlfriend brought me lunch and we had a nice meal together with balloon (the dogs hated them) and cupcakes for dessert. I got two baskets delivered with different kinds of candies and popcorns, and a pumpkin roll. If you know anything about me, it’s that I love sugar. Sugar is the greatest thing ever invented…and it’s a gift that keeps on giving. Rich made sure I knew there were some dark chocolate pieces in one box, as those are his favorites and not mine. It’s nice to be able to share on my birthday.

My girlfriend got me some really soft pajamas and my sister and brother-in-law got me a gift certificate since they’re 800 miles away.

I got several phone calls from friends and Rich made me a cookie that I absolutely love. It’s called a pistachio macaroon and you can only find them at Mike’s Bakery in Boston. Rich found the recipe and made a batch for me and they were as close to perfect as you can get.

Of course I got cards from friends, and I’ll make sure I share them on a video. It doesn’t take a lot to make me happy, and I can honestly say, yesterday was one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had. In a year when most things did not go well, my birthday was a welcome exception.

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