Birthday Clusters

      Today is my Dad's birthday. Once again I am busy, and won't be able to see him today. I had to reorganize some stuff just to get to be able to do this. It's at times like these that I become slightly more aware of how sayings like “when it rains it pours” get started. And how they remain to be felt, hence continuing to be said. I'm sure a lot of families are familiar with the idea of a Birthday Cluster. Several members of a family having birthdays very near one another. Just in my immediate family, my mother and I are 2 days apart, my father and sister are 10 days apart. When you start adding people in, it multiplies. My cousin and I are also 2 days apart. Quite literally. Same year. Same hospital. Our mothers we betting on who would be born first. My mother lost. I'm sure it wasn't that big of a deal, but it may have hurt a little. My mother actually believes that I was to have been born in October. So on December 1^st, when her older sister gave birth, and I hadn't arrived yet, I'm sure she was stunned. That is true. My mother believes I was 6-7 weeks late. I don't know that I've ever heard of a post-mature baby. And, what's stranger still to me is, she thinks I had something to do with. As if I had some choice in the matter. Not that the doctors calculated the date wrong, no, no, I'm a late bloomer, and always have been. Oh well, that seems like a different discussion for a different day. So ever since I was born December 1^st, 3^rd, and 5^th have been linked. Anywhere from 3 to 10 days after Thanksgiving.

     Getting together usually called for some kind of traveling. So we would often just knock them out in one visit. Sometimes that visit was Thanksgiving, sometimes not. But, we rarely got individual Birthdays. It was “normal” so I never really thought much about it. Especially since we had another cluster between June and July. For a while there we had a cousin born on June 26^th, my sister on the 27^th, my aunt on the 28^th, my daughter on July 1^st, my dad on the 8^th, and my grandmother on the 13^th. My cousin and grandmother have since left us, but it's obviously still hard not to think about them during this time. And that all happens right around July the 4^th! So it was basically the same drill, traveling was involved, and it just made it easier to lump them all together. I don't know that anyone minded. We all got to be together and have fun. Plus it kind of made it like your birthday was better 'cause it lasted longer. Now I think it's funny 'cause I hear a lot of people talking about their Birthday Week, as if it should last that long. But some of us had it for real man. Since we've gotten older, I don't see my maternal side of the family that much anymore. Which is a little odd, 'cause only 2 of our primary group have moved, the rest of us live closer than we have in a long time. We used to travel hours to see each other, and now we don't even travel minutes. It was as if we were just doing it all for my grandmother. At the time I don't know that any of us could've been convinced that that was the case.

     My parents have only been back in town for a few years, so it's starting to amp up again. Last year Covid kind of messed everything up, but we're getting back into it. However now, it's a little strange because we are so close. We don't have to travel. I can see them on Tuesday and Thursday if desired. So sometimes we end up seeing each other a lot more than “normal.” However this time, extended family is getting involved! All of my wife's sisters are in town, with all of their children. It's a lot. Her mother is planning on moving to the East Coast, so they have all decided to get together one last time in the house that they grew up in. They are all very excited. I've barely seen my wife in 3 days, and looks like I have another week of it. But that's okay, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Whoa, I may have to tackle that one next week. Anyway, they're very much doing what I was just saying. One of the sisters is turning 40 in August, but we're throwing her a surprise party on Saturday. Surprise! It's a month early! We're having a Thanksgiving dinner one of the days. And they're basically cramming in a bunch of missed past and future events, into 10 days! It's kind of cool. I'm glad they're all excited. None of the husbands came. I find that odd. However, I'm not really used to being that social either. I'm glad I have my safe place. But the other cool thing is that they all love my family too. So my parents and sister have been invited to as many of the events as they would like. I think they all really like the idea of having this big extended family. But it leaves me wondering, do I still try to go see my dad tomorrow, knowing that I'm going to see him on Saturday? Yes I do. May as well see him as much as possible.