On my third birthday, I lost a whole fingernail by wrongly guessing I'd be quick enough to pull out my index finger before the weight of a swing set came down on it.
I'm sure my scream was worthy of one
you'd hear in a horror movie. Needless to say,
no amount of cake and ice cream could assuage me.
—
Then there was my sixth birthday, when the boys who lived behind us took a hose and sprayed my new party dress.
I guess Mom knew what she was doing
when she didn't invite them.
And my eleventh birthday? Don't get me started!
So, Mom forgot to pick up my cake.
Then, when she remembered, she made a sudden stop,
and it ended up on the backseat floor.
BUT HERE'S THE THING:
It's not about something great happening on a specific day.
It's about surviving the challenges you face
on any given day of your life.
Hopefully, you've also had some fun along the way.
BY THE WAY:
I still laugh while reading a book in which some event
—birthday, anniversary, wedding, holiday meal, whatever—
goes terribly wrong.
And I'm not afraid of clowns on cakes.
In fact, they are my favorite decorations.
