Age Is A Relative Thing

337 Days until I am 60.

I think all of us hit an birthday when we feel mortality creeping up on us. For me, it was when I was 32. My sister’s birthday was this last weekend. I am a big practical joker and in the past I had her 30^th birthday announced over the loud speaker at a football game. I filled her husband’s truck with balloons on his 40^th. I had tee-shirts made for family and friends for Bens 40^th and even threw a 365 days ‘til doomsday party complete with cremation box for Ben’s 39^th.

Barb will not be at all surprised when I tell a story about her.

We both lived in Florida at the time. For weeks every time I spoke with Barb she sounded down, but always insisted that nothing was wrong. One afternoon in mid October I was on the phone with her when she broke down in tears and hung up on me. I hopped into the car and drove over to her place, worried and scared. On the way, all these horrible thoughts were running through my mind. She had Cancer...She and Bud were getting a divorce….One of the kids had leukemia …

I arrived, I don’t think I even knocked…Just walked in…and demanded to know what was wrong. She burst into tears again….Finally she said “Do you know I’m going to be 25 next month?”

Dumbfounded, all I could say was “What?!”

She repeated “I’m going to be 25 next month-Do you realize that’s a quarter of a century!”

I looked at her, took a deep breath and said. “No Barbara, I’m going to be 25 next month! You’ve going to be 24!

She started with the tears again and answered “You mean I have to go through this again next year?”