Birthdays

Josh and I are only 18 months apart in age. This was perfect for the both of us in that we were close enough in age to be friends in addition to brothers. We fought a lot as brothers do when they are that close in age, but for the most part we did almost everything together. This presented a problem for my parents around birthdays. I would throw a tantrum if Josh got something and I didn't, even if it was Josh's birthday (which is 6 months from mine). One year Josh got an expensive toy (expensive for my parents, who as they put it many times, “were not made of money.”). It was a Transformer! Josh and I loved the Transformers, we would watch the show regularly and we even went to see the movie (not the new movies, but the old cartoon movie). How could my parents have been so insensitive? How could they get Josh the best of all toys and not get me one too? Only in my parents' heads could those questions be answered! Anyway, I pled my case (which probably included a great deal of tears and crying, and carrying on) which eventually persuaded my dad to buy me one too. Now that I think of it I can't recall specific birthday presents that I received, but this one I can . . . It was the best birthday present I ever got- except it wasn't my birthday!

Speaking of birthdays, my family knows I love snow cones. They even know what brand of snow cone I enjoy. I spent some time abroad in Spain (for religious reasons). One summer I was stationed in the city of Sevilla in southern Spain. It is known to get very hot during the summer. In my letters home I told my family of this and they expressed sympathy (or at least on the surface). I didn't have any air conditioning and my apartment was on the top floor of our apartment complex which meant that it was the hot! My birthday being in July happened to occur while I was in Sevilla, and as a good family does they sent me a birthday package. In the package were various chocolates that had melted in the heat one more item that couldn't quite make out through the sweat running into my eyes and the mass of melted chocolate at the bottom of the box. After carefully separating the item from the chocolate and wiping the sweat from my forehead I realized it was a birthday card. Hoping it was cash to buy some ice cream, or even enough to pay to get our air-conditioner fixed I opened it with enthusiasm. I was surprised at the cruelty and irony of it all- it was a picture of my family eating snow-cones with the caption- Happy Birthday. As it turns out my parents got me back for that Transformer!