Complicated lives!

So (shhh…) it’s my mother’s special birthday coming up, and my sisters and I are planning a party.  But her birthday – July 14th – falls during the Nine Days – the beginning of the month of Av when we don’t really have parties, or celebrate much, or take showers or listen to music or eat meat or drink wine.  Blah.

So every year she’s grouchy because I won’t have a party and I’m grouchy because I feel my spiritual need to be miserable is being compromised by her need to feel loved. 

So I’ll say something like, “let’s get a cake but not really celebrate.”  Have I mentioned - I am really not gifted socially?

Anyway, this year,because it’s a special birthday, and also because she’s going to Europe on June 20-somethingth, I decided – let’s do it early. 

I ordered her a Letter from the Prime Minister way back in April or May, I think.  Nobody in my family seems wowed by this.  Do we even like this Prime Minister?  Nevertheless, she pays taxes; she’s entitled.  So I ordered it.

(at 80, she gets a letter from the Queen… or whoever is ruling England at the time, which will most likely actually NOT be the Queen my mother remembers as Princess Elizabeth)

So then, my sibs & I emailed around and picked a date and tossed around ideas:  movie, family Jam Night 0f Mommy Classics, neighbourhood walk (she loves looking at houses and just plain walking around).  Sara’s going to bake a cake.  Abigail’s going to bring her huge collection of weird and wonderful things you blow into or hit with sticks to make music.  I’m going to make supper.  That kind of stuff.

So today one person to whom I’m related but who has been involved in these plans since the beginning said, just casually, “oh – I’m out of town that day.”

Huh.  Okay.  This person – who’d been involved in the plans from the start - FORGOT.

And then, after this person left, and I had emailed to say “how could you?,”  I remembered – I promised Ted that was the Sunday we could leave for Ottawa.

Huh.  I forgot.

I remembered to email the Prime Minister.  But I forgot to write the date on the calendar.

Sheesh.

So now I am thinking we should have the party this weekend.  Not much notice, but how much notice do you need to make supper and a cake and supply a few instruments?  Plus, the Prime Minister’s letter is already here.  What  more do you need to make it a fully joyous occasion?

Plus, as I keep telling myself… what better surprise could we give my mother than a birthday party over a MONTH early???