Happy Birthday Big Brother!

  Happy birthday to the one who picked out my first teddy bear for me when I was less than a day old (by the way, I still have it!), the one who pushed my stroller around the block on sunny afternoons.  Happy birthday to "my protector" when kids were making fun of me on my way home from school one day (tackling one of them and pinning them down to the ground sent a pretty strong message), you always looked out for me even though you're the same one who drew a mustache on my face with permanent black marker while I was asleep (mom scrubbed my upper lip so hard I'm surprised I still have an upper lip!)  Even after you grew and got married, I could always count on you to be there for me.  Everytime my car broke down you dropped everything to pick me up from where ever I was stranded without hesitation.  I will never forget when you asked me to be in the delivery room with you when your first child (my awesome nephew) was born!  I will also never forget when you walked into my dressing room right before my wedding, and you saw me standing there in my wedding dress, and this wonderfully big smile came across your face and you said "you're beautiful!"
  I know there were times growing up when we fought and I wanted to "put you up for rent, cheap" especailly when you accidentally shot me in the arm with your bb gun!  But then I also remember the time when you were shot in a hunting accident and we almost lost you!  I couldn't imagine not having you in our lives!  Especially my life!
  You were and you still are the best big brother anyone could have!  I talked to you earlier today and wished you Happy birthday but I didn't get the chance to tell you how much you mean to me.  I love you!  Happy Birthday!!!!

Birthday Philosophy

  My grandpa quietly turned 89 years young yesterday!  I say quietly because he doesn't mention to anyone that it's his birthday.  My brother spent all day with him yesterday and didn't even realize it was his birthday.
  last night after dinner, my husband and I called my grandpa to wish him "happy birthday" and the first words out of my grandpa's mouth were "thanks, you know I used to love you and now I don't (followed by a little evil chuckle)", of course he was joking.
  He quickly reminded me that he doesn't have birthdays.  I asked him "why?"
he replied : "Birthdays make you older, I don't feel older, so I don't have them", "can't get older if you don't have birthdays", "age is just a number anyway, it doesn't represent how I feel".
  I replied:  "I think I'll adopt that philosophy, I don't want to age so I'll stop having birthdays too!"
  He replied:  " That's right!  Don't pay attention to the number!"
 
  By the way, as you can probably tell, my grandpa is a lot younger than his 89 years!