A Birthday Affair to Remember

I would like to believe that there are times in everyone’s life when they are reminded of the love that is granted them by their family. For me that occasion came on my 60th birthday.

Two days before the date, my daughter and son-in-law- Jayna and AJ, arrived as they had planned on being here for the big day and I thought my happiness quotient was full but more was in store, much, much more.

The day prior to the big day, AJ and I were watching TV while Jayna who is carrying my grandchild had a lie-down. I had at some point noticed a strange car driving up and down the road outside my window but didn’t think much of the fact as people do tend to get lost out here in the hinterland. At one point I got up to check the car out as it had pulled into my drive, but it soon backed out and left so I went back to watching the movie. So intent was I on the developing drama that the presence of another person did not register on me at first. Then as I turned around and stood up my sister Mary materialized before my eyes though at first the shock was so great that it did not register. Mary lives hundreds of kilometres away in the province of Saskatchewan and that she should be standing here, in my home was quite beyond my ability to comprehend.

As the fact of her being here sank in, she began to tell me just how she had accomplished this miracle. She had, she said, flown from Regina to Kamloops then hopped a bus which she debarked from in 100 Mile. Then she flagged down a trucker and got a ride out to the end of our road walking the rest of the way up to the house. I was simply astounded and told her that I was sure AJ and Jayna would have picked her up at the bus station but she would have none of that. Then during one of the countless hugs which re-affirmed her existence, I saw yet another vision out of the corner of my eye. There stood my sister Teresa who as far as I knew was busy teaching her class in Vancouver. Her story was that she had walked most of the way from 100 Mile then hitch-hiked till she got a ride to my place. By this time I was ready to believe anything and did not find her story out of keeping with her tendency to walk miles a day when she can.

So there I stood hugging both of them when I looked up only to find that my sister Janie standing at the entrance to my kitchen. Janie came all the way from Victoria, by bus which must have been a gruelling trip for even the most devoted of siblings. Teece too, had, I later found out come by bus from Vancouver. The shocks just kept coming as Ginny walked into the room. She had flown from Regina to Kamloops with, as my unbelieving eyes soon saw, my mother. My mama, oh how my heart leapt as I saw that she was finally, finally here in my home to see it with her own eyes, how many times I had hoped for this day. My 89 year old mother had flown and driven over hundreds and hundreds of kilometres to mark the birth of her oldest child. The only sibling missing was Barbara, and she was missed, but due to a big fund raiser for her beloved Wienie Dogs, she was unable to come. As I later found out, Mary, Mum and Ginny had flown from Regina to Kamloops where they were met and taken care of till their departure up here to Eagle Creek by none other than my former husband, and Jayna’s Dad, Jan, what a sweetie.

The full drama was yet to unfold as I found out the next day, my birthday. I had come up with the perfect excuse (for my sister’s sake) to be absent from the house for a few hours on my birthday. Due to having overdone the housecleaning for AJ and Jayna’s visit, my back was acting up. I mentioned to Jayna and AJ that if they insisted on getting me a present then a Reiki session was the ideal gift. They quickly agreed to this idea, and I phoned Terri and made an appointment for the next day, my birthday. On the day, with my family around me and time short, I phoned to cancel. But my sisters would have none of that and insisted I keep the appointment. So off I went with Jayna and AJ over to Terri and Lloyd’s for my treatment. I should have known that a visit to their place always includes good, healthy food thus; we walked in to find the table set for a delicious lunch. After lunch, the ‘kids’ decided to go over and pick up Virginia, my ‘other’ sister and bestest friend. I had invited her over for dinner, along with Terri, Lloyd, Roy and Roy Jr. Being my closest friends in the neighbourhood, I wanted them to join the celebration.

The Reiki session was wonderful and I felt so much lighter and grounded after it was over. Terri and Lloyd drove me back to my place and when we arrived it was to see numerous vehicles parked in and around my yard. The jig was up then as I realized that these loving, caring people, my family, did not think it enough to be present but had invited friends of mine from the area. I later found out that months ago Terri, Lloyd, Virginia and others had joined in a great conspiracy to plan the entire party. Everyone knew my family would be here and kept that secret from me. I never once had a clue that anything like this was to take place.

During my Reiki session, the girls had decorated the house with Happy Birthday banners and scads of balloons. The table was set with all kinds of baked goods and a special birthday table cloth covered it. Around the room sat 14 of my neighbors smiling and wishing me well. I was simply speechless, at least for the first few moments until, thank heavens, manners took over and I went to greet and thank each one of them. I hope they all had as much fun as I did seeing them all and knowing they were here for me. They only stayed for a short while because the plan had been for a drop-in type of visit, but I got to talk to all of them, and thank them personally for coming and being with me on such a special day. I was just tickled that they got to meet my family for I talk about my daughter, AJ, my sisters and my Mum, a lot and now they can put faces to their names.

After our company left I asked the girls if they wanted to play a board game something we did often as younger children growing up on our farm. Mary, Teece and Ginny immediately jumped at the idea and we all sat down to a hilarious game of Trivial Pursuit. Oh the memories that brought back. The days of Monopoly, and Clue, Scrabble and countless other games were fresh in my mind as we continually broke into peals of laughter over one answer or another. We surprised each other with the arcane trivia lodged in our memories and complimented one sister or another for their knowledge of certain subjects. It was so much fun and one the best moments of our time together.

I was not allowed to lift a finger during their stay. They waited on me and made sure that I was well looked after. I am not sure who made lasagne for supper that night it might have been Mary with help from the other girls, but it was delicious. We had it with Caesar salad and Garlic bread. Mary had baked a huge chocolate cake, in Regina, and transported it all the way out here. What a lady –what a baker! The girls put fizzlers on the cake and the numbers 60. I will be eating the rest of the cake for weeks!

Each night the furniture was pushed back and foamies were placed on the floor along with sleeping bags and pillows and there my sisters slept, not one of them under the age of 50. What troopers they are. They put up with my lack of a shower or any decent washing facilities. They put up with the snow on the ground and the mud that is slowly replacing it. They put up with the small kitchen and only one bathroom and they made the best of it. I am so proud of them.
And then in a flash, it seemed, they were gone again so soon it seemed like a dream they had ever been here. It was, however, a dream come true and I will never, ever forget their individual sacrifices in coming here to make my 60th the most memorable birthday I have ever had. I am so very thankful to be a member of such a loving and caring family.

From the depths of my heart, I thank you my sisters, I thank you.