March 16. Thursday Night.

Hi Journey.

I asked four different people for advice; everybody loves contributing their opinion, Journey.

The topic: What to get for Dad's birthday.

He turns 61 on Sunday. This will be the first time we've all been together for his BD since before Carm scooted off to Mt. Holyoke . Of course, back then we didn't have her three munchkins and her husband underfoot; it was just the three of us girls and Mom. I remember that year Mom baked him a chocolate cake, with rainbow sprinkles splattered all across the white frosting. I think he must've been 47 then, or maybe 48.

I do recall we three stayed for all of five minutes of cake cutting and an off-key rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” before Sisi (Carm!) had to jet out for a date and Casey scurried across the street to Mattie's. I went up to my room, probably to work on some homework, but a few minutes later I was sneaking back downstairs for a sip of milk and a second piece of cake.

Mom and Dad sat side-by-side at the table in the middle of our tiny dining room. Dad's face was buried in the shoulder of Mom's cotton blouse.

I crept over behind the couch, mouse-quiet, and peered at the two of them sitting there. He kept dabbing at his eyes with a Strawberry Shortcake napkin that until today had been archived away from one of Carm's long-ago birthday parties. I hid there behind the couch, opened my ears up as wide as they could go, and focused my soul on listening.

But neither spoke. Dad just sat there, crying softly and mom just kept holding him tight, like a little boy with punctured feelings. I waited as long as I could, but then peeked around the side of the couch, trying to see if maybe they were whispering so softly to each other I couldn't hear.

Of course Mom spied me instantly. Before I could jerk back she pulled me toward them with one motioning index finger. I got up, walked into the dining room, and turned their line into a circle. My dad isn't big, but he is strong (to this day, Journey!) and he cinched me in tight against his chest.

“It's just that you three kids are so wonderful, and I don't know what I did to deserve you,” he said. “Carm's almost all grown. And you're doing so well in school, and Casey is just like a sponge, soaking up everything Mattie can teach her. I don't deserve any of it, guys. I just can't believe how good I've got it.”

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