Tomorrow is my son-in-law's birthday. I'm afraid he gets lost in the holiday shuffle. He's a mature man in his forties, but still, it's an important marker and celebration of a life. One of my dear friend's son has a December 25 birthday, and they used to have the party in the spring or even summer, so the event got some attention. I'm a believer in birthdays. As a child, I was in May Day celebrations at our school (K - 12), and my favorite year I played the Mad Hatter and my friend was the March Hare. So I love unbirthdays, too. I still have a top hat with birthday candles on it that I wear for my granddaughter sometimes.
Christmas is about birth, and how magical and profound it feels to us. This year at my party there will be a small baby, and I love the joy of that. If we just forget all the stuff, and concentrate on the surprising, amazing fact of life, that's enough to party til dawn. (I'm a big talker, my party begins at 6 and is over well before midnight, but I'm a geezer now)
So I will phone my son-in-law two states away and hope he gets a moment to reflect and share with his wife and young daughter, despite their impending trip, the packing, the grading of papers, the cat food situation, the last minute gifts for Christmas. Because he's still somebody's special baby, as the song goes, and his existence sheds light on those around him.
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