Birthday Memories

Someone at work asked about a favorite birthday memory. I actually had a problem thinking of one, but now have two.

When I was 6 or 7, my Aunt Louise and Aunt Hulda were visiting over my birthday. I had dreamed of having a Cinderella watch just like Mary had. The watch had a stand with a plastic Cinderella. When I got home from school my birthday cake was on the counter with a plastic Cinderella on top of it. I just assumed it was the plastic one from Mary’s watchstand. I was so excited when I opened my gifts and had my very own Cinderella watch with pink bands and Cinderella’s arms going round and round to give the time.

My first year in Ohio I had told the students on the first day of class what day was my birthday. I did not expect every class to have treats. Devotional class (homeroom) started with donuts, milk, juice, etc. First period CSP had more of the same. Third period was cake. Fifth period had Moose Tracks ice cream, sixth period had something, and 7th period Senior Government had lots of treats as well. I just remember the sugar high and then low starting about 10:30 that kept getting lower and lower as the day went along. Several teachers commented (and not always nicely), “Students have never done that for me.” I just asked them “Well, have you ever told them when your birthday is?” Funny—students can’t and won’t celebrate if they don’t know when your birthday is.