Birthday mix-up brings extra gift
The birthday present arrived right on time, just like my friend told me it would.
Any reasonable person might have figured that it was for me.
After all, it was my birthday this week.
Ah, but then you have to know my wonderful, ditzy, loving friend.
She scatters love down on all of us, this group of us who have been friends since elementary school.
Her mom was the favorite of all us kids. She was a single mom with not a lot of means but a way to shower each one of us with love that maybe we didn’t find in such abundance in our own homes.
Long after all of our mothers had passed, Friend, has grown into the image of her loving mother.
Four of us in this group have January birthdays.
A half century after our first playdates, Friend still remembers each of us on our special day. Never mind that we live in four different states thousands of miles away from where we grew up.
“I sent you a little something for your birthday,” she texted last week.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I insisted.
“Before you get too excited,” she clarified, “the wrong gift might be arriving at your house.”
Sure enough, a few days later, she confirmed: “Teresa got your card and your gift. She’s sending it onto you. Please let me know what arrives at your house.”
It would be too simple if it were just a basic swap. Today, I opened the package on my doorstep to find Teresa’s card along with Marla’s gift.
I reported back, only to have Friend ask, “If I send you money, will you send Teresa’s card to her in California Marla’s card to her in New Hampshire?”
I assured Friend I would send the right gift and card to each recipient, but if she sent me money, I would break up with her.
“LOL,” she replied knowing there is zero chance of that. After 50 years of friendship, no one is going anywhere.
I share this story this week, Dear Reader, because I know there’s a good chance you understand.
You understand what it is to have a lifetime friend, one who is still providing giggles decades after you got in trouble for much of the same during Mr. Gupton’s dreadfully boring science class.
You understand how absurd it is that such a silly little story would take up space in an important newspaper.
Except, you understand that as the world swirls, administrations change, people shout their opinions, this, this, is the stuff that our real lives are made of.
That is, if you are beyond lucky and blessed, as I find myself on this particular birthday.
I couldn’t imagine a better gift than the saga of The Traveling Birthday Presents landing right on my doorstep.
To have a place in my friend’s heart is to know everyone is exactly where they are supposed to be.
Daryn Kagan is the author of the book “Hope Possible: A Network News Anchor’s Thoughts On Losing Her Job, Finding Love, A New Career, And My Dog, Always My Dog.” Email her at Daryn@ darynkagan.com.