How many candles do I blow

Someone didn't know when their birthday was today.

For many reasons some of us as we get older we don't celebrate birthdays. I'll give you mine as an example. The older I get the less important it is to celebrate. This year I was accompanied by my sister. I didn't expect to do anything considering the circumstances but she wanted to take me out to eat. I normally just would have gone by myself. I would have sat in a restaurant and had me an adult beverage by myself. You see that past two years even though I had a partner in my life she didn't celebrate my birthday. If it wasn't important to her then why was it important to me.

I do think birthdays are important. That's why I try my best to surprise my sisters with cake and remind my friends with a gift that they are in my thoughts on their special day. Today is my baby sisters birthday. She spent it with her husband and a play date with her son. That's all she really wanted. Last week it was my God Child's birthday so I of course had to get her a piñata.

There are so many birthdays celebrated on a daily basis. I went out to eat with my friend on Sunday and there at the restaurant they sang Happy Birthday to a birthday girl.

This is my God Child and as long as I'm alive I'll do anything for her.

I was at work when I had to ask a person when their birthday was to enter it in the system. He looked to be younger than me. He asked me if I really needed it. I said, yes. He told me he didn't know when his birth date was. I gave him that look like....really, and said "you don't know the day you were born"? He pulled out his wallet to check the date on his drivers license. Then I realized he was telling me the truth. I couldn't shake that thought out of my mine. So I responded and said "don't worry I don't celebrate my birthday either I forget how old I am at times".

He began to tell me that he lives here alone. Came to this country to help raise his siblings back home. He is the older brother and when his siblings need money he sends all that he can. His parents no longer live so he became the adult and provides for them back home. Since his parents no longer live and his family isn't here he has no reason to celebrate. He said...."why buy a cake when there is no one to share it with". So he doesn't know when he was born. He hadn't celebrated it in years. I wanted to reach out and celebrate a late birthday with him but it wasn't my place. You see my birthday is July 25 and his birthday was July 20. He was ten years younger than me and we both had that same feeling about our birthdays.

Some people have their reasons for not celebrating certain things that others will over due just to say Happy Birthday to you. One day maybe not today but when we are old we will sit alone at the table and think how old am I that no one is here anymore to wish me a happy birthday.

Make a wish and blow out the candles. In his place what would he have wished for? Think about it.

enjoy your 240th birthday.

The dreaded month awaits me. I despise you, July. With the exception of it being the United States birthday you are just a horrible month. My little big headed niece turns four this year. She is a July baby but she couldn't have been a Leo she had to be a crazy Cancer. 

We had already celebrated on Thursday and Sunday. We tried treating it like when humans take the whole weekend to celebrate a birthday. Come Monday we still hadn't seen fireworks. We decided to drive to Denton by going to a bookstore and partake in their 20% off their entire store. Yeah this is how we were going to celebrate it. Us nerds going to the bookstore for a birthday celebration. One of the things that bring me joy in this world is sitting in the passenger seat listening to music and driving a distance. It's like getting away. Denton from our house is about an hour. Our spending money goes to gas.

On our way we saw a billboard where Lake Dallas was going to celebrate their fourth of July. We quickly made a u-turn, found a place to park, grabbed our folding chairs, and found us a spot. Always carry chairs in your trunk, a tip from me to you. We have two in my trunk and two in Heather's trunk. For all the randomness in our lives. We walked around. Hadn't eaten and since we decided to stay we grabbed some festival food. Honestly we don't really get a bite to eat. We just enjoy all the free falling that we tend to do but since we were going to stay we had tacos, corn in a cup, kettle popcorn, sausage on a stick, brisket sandwich, and some freshly squeezed lemonade. We just pigged out. Right at nine fifteen the candles in the sky lit up. The fireworks lasted for almost twenty five minutes. Nicely done Lake Dallas. Our first birthday experience with Lake Dallas and it won't be our last. We've celebrated in Grapevine, Irving, and Dallas. This has to be my favorite one of all.

It was the experience of going somewhere where no one knew you. Where when it was over we didn't have to be stuck in traffic. These people are really courteous. They know the rule off letting a car in an accordion style. No one honked, they even let us back out of our parking spot. People got up from their chair to dance to the music. No chaos.

Happy 240th birthday America. We don't know how next year will be. Hopefully we can still be able to celebrate you another year older without hate but love. When we all see the big candles go out in the sky we are all just grateful to be able to see it surrounded by all kinds of faces that make us America.