Here’s a birthday story: My family sung happy birthday to me over a slice of cake from the ‘old country buffet’ desert counter. Coconut butter cream cake complete with candles my lady snuck into the restaurant to make my wish official. I cut the slice into 6 pieces to pass around the table because it’s only good luck if you share. A voice from behind me says gruffly, “…and who’s birthday is it?” I turn and look into the face of an old man, white beard, weather beaten skin, head topped with a hunting cap that I am positive he has actually hunted in. I tell him that it’s my birthday and he says “Well, here you go young lady” and pulls his arm from behind him and presents me a wrapped fireball candy cushioned in his open palm. The table gets a little quiet, and I smile, thanking him enthusiastically. Blinking back tears now, I look at my mom who is blinking back her own because the coincidence is lost on no one there. Leaning in my mom says, ‘It’s your daddy’s favorite candy”. Blink blink, “I know…” “Maybe it’s his way of saying happy birthday”, Blink blink, “I know…” We wrap up dinner and I stop at the man’s table to tell him how much his small gesture meant to me and why. His response “ Then where’s my birthday kiss?!” I kissed him on the cheek and gave him a big hug that I meant with my heart and left feeling like I had one of the best birthdays ever.
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 16:40:54 +0000
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