A day or two ago, my wife asked if I wanted anything special for my birthday dinner. My standard answer to this question is usually "chicken and dumplings," but we just recently had that, so I actually had to think this year. (I wonder if she did that on purpose?) I thought for a bit and remembered a conversation I'd had with some friends at work recently about a good "weekend food" that none of us had had for awhile.
"Fish sticks, corn, and a tall glass of milk," I answered. I think Kim was amused that she offered a nice fancy meal of my choosing, and here I was requesting something I could very easily make myself (if we had it, and that was just the point. We don't ever have those items because Kim can't eat them due to an allergy to corn). Eventually, I convinced her that I was serious, and that a meal of fish sticks, corn, and milk would make me very happy.
So tonight for dinner, I had fish sticks, corn, and milk--a meal I prepared for myself--while she had something that better agreed with her slightly-more-sensitive system.
That, I think, sums up my birthday very well. It's been a very nice couple of days. Lots of small, kind things have been done for or said to or shared with me over the past forty-eight or so hours. Some have been birthday-related, some have not. Hand-made cards, kind words through a timely voicemail, thoughtful and/or innovative gifts, lunch with friends, late-night movie, free pizza coupon in the mail, an afternoon and evening with my wife and son, etc.
The funny thing about it is, this should have been a terrible birthday. I had to work this morning, and Robbie was throwing up last night--a lot--and was hungry and fussy this morning, and I was tired for most of the day, and the Red Wings won yesterday, and the Pens and Aeros both lost today (Blackhakws did win--woohoo!), and there were just plenty of circumstances to make today be one of those sucky birthdays you read so much about, but...I have great friends (and family, too!). And I know that there are many times when I don't appreciate them (you) for all they're (you're) really worth, so if they (you) are reading this, I want to thank you for everything you do for me. I appreciate it, and I appreciate and love you all.
