Happy birthday to me!
On March 1, 1947 at Tyndall AFB near Panama City, Florida, Stan and Joanne Evelyn Emert had a second daughter born at somewhere around 4 a.m.
She was named June Coleen by her Grandpa Colligan of Irish heritage and her dad. June is an Emert family name and Coleen means Irish girl. This baby girl was me.
Those of you who read this today may notice that it is March 1…my birthday or maybe the day after. Some people reach a certain age, like from 50 on, and say that they don’t celebrate birthdays anymore. To that I say, “Why the heck not?” Being born is a time for celebration. In normal settings (and
I’m not dealing with any negatives) mothers and fathers are ecstatic with a new child. These days they post pictures on social media sites forever. It’s endearing to me.
I love celebrating birthdays. When the kids were growing up… we had four…I loved to make their birthday cakes. Our daughter loved an Italian Cream Cake that I made from scratch. I found the recipe in the Atlanta Journal years ago. The recipe now has cake and frosting batter dried on it. I probably shouldn’t admit that. I’m not the neatest of bakers.
Our oldest son is like his father. He doesn’t like cake. He likes a chocolate pudding pie with a graham cracker crust. Our youngest was born on Valentine’s Day, so I always made him a red velvet heart-shaped cake. One time, a new recipe I used was not correct. The frosting tasted like Play Doh. It was gawdawful. Poor little Hartwell. He tried to eat it, but it was inedible, seriously. I’d make a blackberry cobbler or a cherry pie for my husband on his birthday. Sometimes Mrs. Smith makes the pie these days…wink. My most creative cake I ever made was for our middle child, Hayden, who wanted a chocolate cake with camouflage colored frosting. I had to experiment with food coloring to get those subtle tans and greens. In truth, it was fun, and that cake has come up in conversations several times throughout the years.
So, what kind of cake do I like? My mom made me a Devil’s food cake with 7-minute frosting sprinkled with coconut for my birthday from the time I was a little girl until I grew up and left home. When our kids got older and learned about that cake, they decided to make me one. I don’t remember who made it first, but Hayden tried his hand at it and everything did fine until a May fly flew into the 7-minute frosting in the double boiler. He told me he tried to scoop it out but that didn’t happen. Its long legs were floating around and it wouldn’t do to get one caught in my teeth. The cake part was wonderful. Heather made Devil’s food cupcakes with 7-minute frosting on one of my birthdays-also delicious.
The birthday cake that tugged at my heart the most was after my mom and dad moved to Calhoun. They worked together and made the Devil’s food cake with the 7 minute frosting sprinkled with coconut. It was perfect and so thoughtful of them. They were both in their late 80s and my precious dad was dying of kidney cancer. They were so proud of that cake, and it was scrumptious.
Back in 1976, I became pregnant for the second time with the due date of March 8, 1977. I was excited to be pregnant again, but little did I know that I would be given the best birthday present ever with the birth of our first son on my 30 th birthday. The doctor said I willed him to be born on my birthday. Maybe I did. The nurses brought me a cupcake with a candle and a friend sneaked in some champagne to celebrate the birth of William Heath. He was born at somewhere around 4 PM, twelve hours after I was born 30 years before. His birth topped out my birthday that year and every year since.
I’m glad I’ve reached an older age. I’m glad I had a wonderful childhood with great parents and siblings. I’m glad I had the opportunity to see other countries and get to know all kinds of people of all colors, all religions, all cultures. I’m glad I married for love and had four children.
I’m glad I became an educator as a career. I’m glad I am a writer. I’m glad I was encouraged to read. I’m glad I became a local actress at our Little Theater for over twenty years. I’m glad I was allowed to be me with an open mind who has never been afraid to defend what I know is right.
I’m so glad I was born.
Coleen Brooks is a longtime resident of Gordon County who previously wrote for the Calhoun Times as a columnist. She retired as the director and lead instructor for the Georgia Northwestern Technical College Adult Education Department in 2013. She can be reached at coleenbrooks1947@gmail.com.