MEme Monday: Most Memorable Birthday

Happy Monday, I can’t believe we are 11 days into 2010 already, time is flying by. This Monday I decided to once again participate in SupahMommy and MommyBrain’s Blog Carnival, MEme Monday.

This week they asked us: What was your most memorable birthday?

Wow, I love birthdays. I always make a big deal about them, whether it’s my own or someone else's (my hubby's in on Friday), I always like to celebrate them! I have been lucky enough to have really great birthdays, my parents and now Daniel always make them special.

My most memorable birthday though had to be my 26th Birthday which was just this past year. It was July 11, 2009 and like every year I counted down the weeks and then days to my birthday. This year was special, because my friend Mallory was getting married. It was my first night out since having Cecilia, I had been looking forward to it for weeks. Since we had the wedding the night of my actual birthday, I celebrated my birthday with Daniel, my parents and his sister the night before.

Daniel cooked a very nice dinner, one of my favorites, steak, shrimp, fried green tomatoes and corn on the cob and my mom had made my favorite cake for dessert, strawberry short cake. It was a perfect evening. Then after dinner my mom asked me if I wanted to ride with her to see my Uncle Orville, who was my mom’s second to oldest brother. Uncle Orville had diabetes and heart problems, for the past four years he had been in and out of the hospital. In May of last year he was put under Hospice care at his house. He celebrated his 60th birthday in June and actually seemed to be doing better, but my mom had gotten a phone call on July 10th the day before my birthday that he had taken a turn for the worst.

At first I did not want to go with my mom to see him, it was late, past Cecilia’s bedtime and I wanted to get her to bed. Daniel told me to go and not worry about Cecilia. So I went with my mom to see Uncle Orville. When I walked in and saw him in bed it was hard for me, he was in a coma-like state and didn’t open his eyes when we walked in. My cousin, Becky told him we were there to see him and he grabbed my hand and barely got out the words, happy birthday to me. I gave him a hug and kiss and I left the room, I couldn’t hold my tears in any longer and just fell into my cousin Charlotte’s arms where I cried.

At 11:45 am, the next day, the day of my birthday my uncle passed away at his house with my cousins, aunt and his brothers and sisters at his bedside. I was at the mall with Daniel and Cecilia trying to find a dress for the wedding that night when my mom called. I immediately grabbed the first dress I saw in my size, paid for it and then we drove to Maryland to my uncle’s house. My aunts and uncles were still there, now along with some of my cousins who decided to come and show their support. Everyone was sure to wish me a happy birthday, and they all told me not to think of my birthday as a sad day, but as a happy day, because now my uncle was in a better place. It was still hard though.

That night we still left Cecilia with my parents and went to Mallory and Robbie’s wedding. I wish I could say I had a great time, but I didn’t. My mind was elsewhere. We only stayed until the cake was cut and then we went home, picked up Cecilia and went to bed. It had been a long and emotionally draining day for me, I wasn’t in a celebratory mood.

Here is what my cousin, Connie read at my uncle's funeral:

Today we are here to show our love for a wonderful man, My Uncle Orville. You see my Uncle has accomplished many things in 60 years. He has been a son, a brother, a cousin, a friend, a husband, a father, an uncle, a grandfather and a great uncle. Not many men have achieved such honorable titles. My Uncle wasn’t the most outspoken in our family, but when he did speak we listened. He didn’t have to holler at us or at least not at his nieces and nephews to get something done, he just asked with his soft spoken voice and we did it. I sat down last night trying to fall asleep then realized I had something I wanted to say to my cousins and my Aunt that would help them realize that Uncle Orville didn’t leave them abruptly or unexpectedly, he left knowing his work here was done. Think about it, he organized his 60th birthday party for himself because he knew it was his time to cross-over and he wanted to spend his last few weeks with his entire family. He gave all of us the chance to tell him we love you Uncle O, or we love you friend, we love you brother, we love you DAD and he could touch us and say thank you! I can’t think of a more classy and prepared way to leave this earth. He kept his promise to Mom-mom and Pop pop ****** of getting us all together for Holidays after they were gone and he has done it again today by filling up the funeral home for his viewing. I haven’t seen our cousins Greg & Jacob in over 6+ years. Thank you Uncle Orville, for giving me the chance to see my cousins again.

Charlotte, Becky and Aunt Jeanie you have made my Uncle the happiest man on earth. Aunt Jeanie you and god gave him two wonderful daughters and now Char and Becky have given him 4 beautiful grandchildren. He even worked a grandson in there to carry on the ****** name. Now it is up to you three to support each other and be the rock that your dad was to you girls. He knows you can handle it and I know that you can handle it too.

You see everyone there are 8 nieces in this ****** Family and there is a Personality that we all have, we are very strong minded. We look at it as positive, others may be intimidated by it. One thing is for sure we are proud to have ****** running through our veins, right girls. So, Charlotte & Becky wipe your tears, throw your shoulders back and continue on like your Dad would want you too. Take care of your Mom and remember my door has been and always will be open to your entire family. I love you!! Connie Lynn

Hopefully my 27th birthday will be a better birthday, but I know now every year my birthday will also be the anniversary of my uncle's death or as I was told to look at it, the celebration of his life. To participate in MEme Monday, link up to SupahMommy or MommyBrain’s site.