Yesterday was my birthday. It was a beautifully sunny day here, and unusually warm for October. But the weather did nothing for me. I was really sad. I'd broken up with my on-again-off-again beau of 7 years the evening before. I dumped him. Perhaps it was because my birthday was looming and I realized that I wasn't getting any younger and that our relationship was not really something that was making me happy. Who knows. So naturally he didn't call me yesterday on my birthday - but why should he - I dumped him the night before. He was probably still really angry and hurt.
My kids were all super busy - they all had before and after school activities so we couldn't even have a birthday dinner together. Not even a cake. They wished me a Happy Birthday and gave me hugs and I told them that it was ok, it's just another day. My Mum and one of my sisters phoned.
But the one sister who I'm closest to left me a voice mail message at the time when she knew that I would be out (driving my son to school). Her message was: Happy Birthday and oh, by the way, we won't be coming to your Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday because we're going out of town. Just like that. It's Thanksgiving here in Canada, this weekend. And for years now, my family has gotten together for the whole turkey thing. Plus we celebrate my birthday, my brother's birthday, and my daughter's birthday, which happen to occur around Thanksgiving. We've been getting together forever -- normally it was always my Mom who hosted, but in recent years my Dad has gotten so sick that he has become almost an invalid for my Mom and the whole dinner thing became too much for her to handle so last year I took over the "Thanksgiving dinner" role. I had 14 people here at the house and it was absolutely magnificent. I made a turkey and a ham, and the whole nine yards. The house was decorated, the table was elaborate - place-cards etc., and I had wonderfully festive decorations on my front porch with pumpkins, scarecrows, bales of hay, gourds, etc. It was wonderful. And I was looking forward to the same this year. I ordered a 20 pound turkey a week ago. And was so expecting that everyone would attend. Yet here's my sister on the phone yesterday - leaving me a phone message, telling me that "oh, by the way, we won't be at your house for Thanksgiving". No apology, no thank you for the invitation, no excuse. Nothing. I felt the "slap,slap, slap" on my face as I replayed the message over and over. Why is it that family can hurt you more than anyone else?
Anyhow, it was my birthday yesterday. And I cried and cried and cried.
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