Do you know?

The Birthday Girl turned 90 on December 26th–which, she will be the first to tell you, is a most unfortunate day to be born.  People are tired of eating, and celebrating, and otherwise spending large amounts of money.  And that leaves you with birthday presents wrapped in Christmas paper–if you’re lucky enough to get separate gifts at all.

It’s a sad, sad state of affairs.  Sigh.

This year, however, The Birthday Girl got to choose–whatever she wanted to do for her birthday, the family would do it.  She requested a small family dinner {with the inclusion of a lifelong friend} … at the Olive Garden … “Because, you know, we never got to eat there when Russell was alive.”

And it just so happens, the manager working that day was also a December 26th baby.  So while The Birthday Girls compared horror stories, the rest of us sampled the complimentary appetizer trays.  The wait staff came out to serenade, they picked up The Birthday Girl’s tab–they even supplied her with a paper cone, filled to the brim with her favorite mint chocolates, all to take home.

Of course, to each and every person who stopped by to greet her, she would say, “Do you know how old I am?”

“How old?”  they’d respond.

“Ninety!” she’d exclaim, chuckling, and shaking her head.

Apparently, it gets no easier to believe you’re as old as you are; perhaps that’s the reason birthdays may continue to shine bright … even on the 26th of December …