Turtle Lady Genealogy: Week 37 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Prompt

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 37

Prompt – Birthday Closest To Yours

My children's birthday filled me with dread every year. The planning, the themes, the special event, the cake, the friend invites and goodie bags were all overwhelming. The pressure to get it right and be a success was pretty high.

Growing up I can not remember many parties that I had. I vaguely remember a shared birthday party with my brother Don. His birthday, April 8, was two weeks after mine. We got to invite a few friends. We played games such as the one where you go around chairs with one less chair than the number of kids and when the music stopped everyone had to take a seat and the one left standing was out. It was played until there was one winner. I can still visualize the chaos, excitement and laughing that went on during this game. I'm not sure who won but it wasn't me. Our shared birthday cake had pennies baked into it. A huge thing at the time. That was before we were worried about germs. It was considered lucky to get a penny in your cake piece. I think in its hay day many kids swallowed pennies. Besides all that getting presents was pretty cool too.

Several reasons come to mind when I ponder why we didn't have parties. Firstly it was costly for my parents who could barely make ends meet. Secondly my mom worked outside of the home. Not many mothers worked in the 1960's. Thirdly I had six siblings and that made a party all by itself. In fact every meal was a party!

Wendy and Her Father's Shared Birthday Cake. Wendy's 6th Birthday

What I do remember is sharing a birthday cake with my father. His birthday was 3 days after mine on March 28^th. I liked it. It was that one little thing that I got to share with my dad and no one else could. It was very special. My quiet father did not like a fuss to be made over him. Although we shared the cake, it was put in front of me to blow out the candles.

Some 20 years ago my first grandchild, Alanna, was born just 3 days before my birthday on March 22^nd. What a coincidence that our birthdays are also 3 days apart. Several of our family parties have been shared but Alanna has had her own special day as well. On those shared birthdays I would rather it be just about Alanna because just like my father I am not so keen on all the fuss. I hope that one day she can look back with fond memories of a shared birthday in the same way that I look back on my father and my shared birthday.