Yes, my friends have in the past, understandably, since there are so many celebrations for our most important Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate in December with parties, family gatherings and exchanging of gifts. Those with December birthdays are certainly in good company. I am not upset anymore when friends forget my birthday in these senior years. As a matter of fact, I am fine with it! The years of hurt feelings when forgotten, the disappointment of “Christmas/Birthday” gifts being “combined” are long gone in these very mature adult years! I even relieved the guilt of my girlfriends forgetting several years ago by throwing my birthday party, expanding it to include girlfriends who also had December birthdays. It then evolved into a wonderful “Christmas Party” with many friends exchanging fun Christmas gifts while making sure the Birthday ladies had their Birthday cake. I celebrate my birthday the entire month of December now with my focus on the real reason for the season. As always in my bizarre life, I have a story.
No one knows when my real birthday is, including me! I have celebrated my birthday on two different days in December; December 20th and December 13th! Thus, part of the reason I just celebrate the whole month! Until I graduated high school, I went with the 20th and since then, have gone with the 13th! My brother has celebrated two different days too! My brother celebrated the 13th and now celebrates the 20th! My older sister celebrated on the 21st of December. She kept the 21st and my brother and I switched! We were living in a foster home in Dallas my senior year of high school and had requested birth certificates for college apps. We received certified, legal birth certificates issued by a Dallas adoption court. My brother’s birthday showed to be the 20th and mine showed me to be born on the 13th!
I know, right? What? Who doesn’t know their own birthday? Is the year correct? How could this happen? Apparently, when our stepmother adopted us after my Dad’s death (my birth mother was previously deceased), she was able to put whatever information she wanted on the birth certificates and the records were sealed. Maybe my dad was confused with 3 of his eight children having December birthdays and told her the incorrect dates, or perhaps they were the correct dates and she got confused in the adoption process!
My brother’s certificate doesn’t even have my dad’s name on it. Mine has the incorrect age of our stepmother and the number of children. All of them have our stepmother listed as the birth mother. This just added to the “drama, chaos, and weirdness” of our very bizarre family. My high school transcript shows that my birthday was December 20th! My college transcript shows to be December 13th! I have a passport that I always keep current with the date of the 13th! I wouldn’t want to have to prove when and where I was born!
My brother and I tried to get our original birth certificates with our birth mother’s name and our dad’s name on them. The adoption court in Dallas no longer exist, the records were sealed and apparently lost! Mine was even more complicated because I supposedly arrived early while my birth mother and dad were in Oklahoma City. I contacted the hospital that was named on the certificate I have. I was told that they no longer have those records and that I would have to go back to the adoption court in Dallas. The one that no longer exist! My brother tried harder and longer than I did to find his since he wanted to at least have my dad’s name on it, but with no luck. Oh well, I know I have lived at least 65 years now, maybe more? I always thought my sister was two years older than me, perhaps not? I think my brother is one year younger than me, maybe not? Maybe, I’m the youngest of the three of us, or perhaps I’m the oldest? LOL!
No wonder I have developed a good sense of humor. I’m alive, healthy, and happy. I thank the Lord every day for my health, my life, my family, and my friends. I continue to celebrate the entire month of December. Happy Birthday to me! My real birthday- “day”……forget about it!!
Happy Birthday all of you December Birthdays,
Susie Black Holamon (Barbara Black Holamon, Barbara Susan Black, Susan Holamon, Susie Holamon, Barbara Holamon, Susie Black, B.S. Black, B.S. Holamon….who am I???LOL!!!)
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