OOPS TWO --- I forgot something else.

Not sure if this is truly an oops but since I chronicle events in other people's lives I guess I need to be fair and chronicle an event in my own life. Today is the anniversary of the day I was born - 66 years ago at the old Mariah-Parham hospital in Henderson, NC after which I went home with my Mom to my grandmother's house in Kittrell, NC where my sisters Barbara Ann, Alice Rose and Faye Ruth were waiting to meet me. Barbara Ann was almost 12, Alice was 6 going on 7, Faye was 2 going on 3, Mama was 29 going on 30 and Daddy had just turned 32 a few months before. My youngest sister Amy, was born in August of 1951. We also had a sister who was born in April of 1938 but she died in July of that year in South Carolina. My sister Alice has been down to where she was buried in SC. We offered to have her remains brought up here but Mama said she wanted it left as it was. When my Kelly got sick when she was around 9 months old and had to spend some time in the hospital, my Dad almost had an anxiety attack about it several times. He called me one time and suggested I fix Kelly a sugar tit to suck on. Mama told me later that he was having bad memories of their time with Judith's illness and death. As of today, I am now 66 years old. Sixty-six years which means I have now passed the mid-60's point. I am saying it over and over so I can get used to saying it. I am not unhappy to be 66 years old. Believe me, once you have had to face your own mortality eyeball to eyeball, each day becomes more and more precious to you. Every moment you spend with your family, friends, and loved ones becomes more meaningful on every level. Ever since I learned the Truth, I have been relieved that I don't have to keep up with people's birth dates or come up with money and an idea for what to buy someone. I honestly believe the fact that we don't celebrate anything except for the Memorial of Christ's death (which doesn't involve him having to go out and buy a present) has been one of the biggest positives Dwight has found about me being a Witness. When Ike and Ennis started having us spend the week of the Christmas holidays with them at the coast, he became one happy camper. He looked forward to and loved our time there with our family, the Terry family and at times, others from the congregation. Individual couples can decide if they want to celebrate their own personal wedding anniversary date but it isn't something we blow out of proportion. Kelly planned a surprise party for us on our 25th wedding anniversary with a few close friends joining us for it. On our 40th anniversary,

we all went in together and bought Dwight hats, shirts and sweatshirts with his company logo on them and the kids put together a Love Album for me with comments and pictures from our friends about us. That was quite special to us. Hard to believe that is us just seven short years ago. We have also done things like buy a leaf blower and calling it our anniversary gift. Makes us feel better for spending the money. :) The years we can think about something we really need, if we have the money, we will buy that or put it on the shelf for the next year. Maybe I need to re-visit a small gas fireplace for our 47th anniversary next month? Hmmmm? Nah - I think we will just hang out together and be glad we still have each other as always.