Not Quite the Birthday Blues

 

 

As I celebrate my birthday, it is tinged with sadness.

 

Whilst I’m more than happy to spend the day with Hubby and the Little Miss, I can’t help but reflect that this is my first birthday without Dad and my third without Mum. Without fail I would get a card from them and a phone call.

I was tempted to get an old card out but realized that would just be silly. Yet, perhaps understandable? I don’t know.

Birthday’s growing up were always such fun for everyone in our home. When that special day arrived, they would come downstairs to find the living room filled with bunches of balloons and streamers. Mum started the tradition and it never stopped. The only changes were how many balloons were put up and where the banner would be placed.

One year we almost gave Mum a heart attack. It was her 50^th and my sister and I waited for her to come down, when she opened the door we pulled the string on a couple of poppers shouting ‘Happy Birthday!’ In her unique way of expressing things, she gasped, ‘she stupid girls, y’all almos’ kill’ me!’ but with a huge grin on her face.

As we got older, we would take over the inflating of the balloons and under Mum’s direction where to place them. Including Dad, who rarely showed he was happy to have these decorations, looked forward to seeing them – okay maybe that was me?

My desire to do anything creative soon took over as I made banners – a train for Dad one year, roses for Mum another – all with just the sheer pleasure of making my family happy.

So whilst I am a little sad, I know that I will certainly carry on this tradition. Hubby had a Batman theme and as soon as the little Miss’s birthday finished last year I was planning what theme to have for her third (birthday). I’m still thinking. At the moment she’s into Spiderman (I know…), Bubble Guppies and Octonauts. I’m thinking we’ll forgo the webbed wonder and combine the guppies and Captain Barnacles et al…they are, after all, under the sea…oh, The Little Mermaid – hmm…



What a Year...

As the apocalyptic frenzy of 2012 ebbs and I sip my eggnog, sprinkled with freshly grated nutmeg writing my final post for the year, I'm not sure how to feel about what has happened over the last twelve months.

Filled with sad moments - a very much loved family member passing away, innocent children victims of gun crime and devastating storms leaving thousand of families homeless, I should be glad to see the back of it.  But then there's been some really great moments - silly conversations with my sister on Skype, my brother's fantastic work on Skyfall, my BFF's new addition to her family, meeting friends for lunch, chatting with the barista's at Starbucks and the countless hugs from Hubby. Shouldn't that be what I remember and take with me in to new year?

Lord only knows what the coming year will be like, but hopefully not such severe weather, less shootings, a kinder word said to our neighbors (both literal and not) and some genuine peace.

It seems every year I make the same promises - eat less, drink more..no hang on...eat more, drink less?...but in all seriousness I hope I do stick to a couple of resolutions - publish either my short stories or my novel, exercise more, refrain from making comments about the stupid things people do to annoy me...

....but whatever 2013 holds in store, I'm certainly hoping, not just for Hubby and I but you also, that it will be filled with all the good things in life - friends, family, an extra fiver in your back pocket, lots of giggles and if you have pain let it be champagne.