A Pattern of Words

Attack birthday kisses for the birthday Mamele (grandma). It was a low-key celebration this year: V (sister) and I went out for lunch at a downtown, rooftop restaurant with Mom, then gifts and dessert with kids and spouse at our place (D was on a guys’ trip to Chicago).

Mom’s birthday kicks off a lot: thoughts of spring as the weather warms and gardening themed gifts rule the pile of presents, realization that Lent is right around the corner (the day before P’s birthday, this year), the first in an onslaught of birthday celebrations (our family celebrates nine birthdays between the end of February and the beginning of May – the cake overload is real), and now also the annual grief that comes with the anniversary of my dad’s death (he went into the hospital a few days after my mom’s birthday and died on Ash Wednesday). It’s a weird time and I rather wish I could just check out for the month of March and come back at Easter. I’m grateful the grief gets less heavy every year, but I don’t know that I’ll ever enjoy this time of year.