Thankyou to everyone for your very kind birthday wishes. ( Yes Moyra, it is today, there was a clue or two in Jack's post. )
I can still remember my best ever birthday.
It was a few years after my father had passed away & Mum was still struggling to support four kids on her own.
I was old enough to understand how tight money was but I desperately wanted my own brand new bike, rather than having to make do with " hand me downs ".
Normally I would never ask for anything but I desperately wanted this new bike so i pestered, badgered & pleaded with her for months on end but her response was always the same " sorry les but we just cannot afford it, what else would you like for your birtday ? )
Well there was nothing else that i wanted so i wished with all of my heart, silently prayed to God & dreamed that somehow I would get my new bike for my birthday.
My birthday in that particular year fell on a Saturday & as I arose that morning, the first thing that saw was a brand spanking new dragster bike parked next to my bed.
I raced screaming with joy into my Mother's bedroom & gave her the biggest hug that i could muster.
Her calm response was, just make sure that you look after your new bike & promise me that you will be careful riding it on the streets & by the way because your birthday is so close to Christmas & this bike was so expensive this is also your Christmas gift so do not expect any presents on Christmas day.
Yeah, i don't care about Christmas, can i go & show off my new bike to my friends?
Of course i did still receive some modest gifts on Christmas Day which was when i learnt that it was only because of contributions from big sister ( Diane ) who was working as a check out chick & big brother ( Barry ) who had squirrelled away money from his paper run that Mum was able to afford my new bike.
In recent weeks i have wished with all of my heart for a special birthday gift for today.
I have prayed to God & dreamt of a perfect outcome but sadly there has been no present, my brothers condition is deteriorating & the doctors seem to have no answers for us.
Finally, i must make a comment about Jack's extraordinary birthday post to me.
I was so humbled & teary that i did not know how to respond & i still don't so all i can do is speak from the heart.
Jack, the format in which you constructed your birthday wish was absolutely brilliant but more importantly, i was deeply moved by your unique poetry, the sentiments that you expressed touched me very deeply & i can not thank you enough for such a wonderdul & thoughtful card.
At the very least, i will have to reveal the meaning of " 303 " in my player name.
Despite whatever connection your vivid imagination might have made with firearms or even some sort of sexual tryst, it is simply my appartment number.
