Happy Birthday on Face Time

A couple of years ago it occurred me that we’ve celebrated an awful lot of kid birthdays. As of today, Sister #2’s 20th, we’ve done 60 sets of candles and 60 renditions of Happy Birthday to You. That’s a lot of cake.

When they were younger there were dinosaur parties, “big truck” parties, Harry Potter parties, more than one improv party. Fun, low-key, and always all of us pulling together to make a special day for the birthday boy or girl. It got a little easier as they got older. Choosing the dinner meal, the birthday dessert, and the evening activity took minimal planning, but still put the honoree in the limelight.

And then came today. Our family life has changed enough that creating a special time for Sister #2 was a challenge. Technology to the rescue!

We found a compatible time frame to link up with Oldest Sister via Face Time in the afternoon. The Husband was working, but we three girls had a nice long visit. We laughed over absurdities and odd personalities we’d each run across in the last week. We dropped in family jokes and reference that are always good for a laugh. And Oldest Sister described in detail her new life as a biology grad student. I now know more about fruit fly ovaries and how to remove them than is strictly necessary. I also know she’s making friends, handling her jam-packed schedule, and becoming more confident every day. We couldn’t visit for too long, though, as Oldest Sister was on her way to a pirate cruise ?!? on the Inner Harbor. Aye, Matey!

We connected with The Boy after supper. He and Sister #2 chatted away. As always, their conversation centered around music: “What are you singing in choir?” “What are you doing with your vocal instructor?” “The opera we’re doing is awesome! It’s the most difficult music I’ve ever sung!” And a lot of talk about harmonic blah blah blahs, minor whatevers, and melodic thingamajigs, of which I understood about 10%. Just the same, it was music to my ears. I’ve missed their mutual admiration society and the excitement they share for vocal music.

It wasn’t my birthday, but I definitely received a gift. Seeing all three of them laughing, healthy, happy, engaged in learning and growth. What more could a mom ask for?

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