Ok,
First, today (August 20th) is my birthday. So, you'd think that would always be a happy day; BUT, here's a little secret.
For most of my life? I hated my birthday. And I'm not talking once I got older, no no. I hated it from like age 8 on. Thing of it was, first off, my birthday fell as the last of us three kids in my family. And being the oldest, of course I had to be the most 'understanding' in being patient for mine when the other two had theirs (which wasn't an issue.) But what was an issue is that, like many of us gamers, I was never one who could be accused of being popular. Far from it. But one year, my Mom threw a huge birthday party, invited a bunch of kids from my class (I was in 1st grade, going into second, so say 7/8 years old) and had the whole house done up with decorations, hats, all of it. Come the party?
Not a single kid came. And I'm not kidding, NONE of the invited kids came. You want to talk about being embarrassed? Your family all are there, and the only other kids there are your brother and your cousin.
To say the least, I was devastated. Completely. I cried the rest of the day. And once my parents separated, (a few years later) Mom had to work a ton; so I never really had much of a birthday of my own, as it got combined with my two siblings to save money. [Note, this isn't "I hate my Mom for doing it, far from it. Even then I understood we were trying to survive, but still doesn't change the fact that you don't get your 'own' birthday.] That trend did not change when I got married, as my wife shares my birthday with me. Yep, 13 hours apart. But as a kid, since birthdays were shared, and with mine coming at the end of the month, the combi-party was usually earlier in the month and I spent most of my birthdays by myself. It just grew to become just another day; I just was no longer one age and became the next age.
Ok, fast forward to high school and my friend Kris I've told you about (who was a girlfriend when we were kids.) Anyways. She found out when my birthday was; and I was turning 14 that year. And I had told her how much I grew to hate it, and that it just was another day, no more, no less. Well, she wouldn't stand for that. So, she baked a batch of cookies, put them in a Yahtzee game box, tied it with white string, then rode in August heat (which was I think in the 90's that particular day) from her house to mine, which was roughly 5 miles one way and gave me the cookies.
Now, this was the first time any other kid did A THING for my birthday. I have remembered that, every year on my birthday since. It was an act of kindness that I hadn't experienced from another kid who wasn't related for my birthday. Heck, maybe that's why I then thought I kinda liked her.
But its these simple things that makes the difference in a person's life.
So, how does this relate to today? I get back from delivering my route; and walk over to my work station. There, sitting on the ledge, (yep, you guessed it) was an express mail package:
In a Yahtzee game box. The supervisor on duty wanted me to explain what was so special in a yahtzee box that someone was willing to ship it express mail. I said, "a good friend sent me that."
I don't know how more simple of a gesture that can show how much a friend loves you; like getting a box filled with cookies, just because.
Thanks Kris. You're the best friend a guy could ever ask for.
For my best friend; and for how great of a day a birthday can be:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hihMJ8Gm-Wg
