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Birth Day Stories

Keeping Family History Alive

By Maria T. Olia

Another busy signal. This year when I called my brother to wish him a happy birthday his phone line was busy for more than an hour.

Later that evening when I finally got through, I asked, "Was Mom calling to tell you how on the morning you were born, 38 years ago today, that she held a very bald you in one hand and the newspaper with Churchill on the front page in her other hand?"

Michael is incredulous. "How did you know?"

"And was Dad on the other phone, saying, 'I saw you and that picture of Churchill and thought, "If only I had a cigar"'?"

"Were you with them?"

I can feel that we are slipping back into our old familiar roles. I am the big sister; he's the little brother. We live in different parts of the country now. Michael lives in Kentucky and I live in Massachusetts, and even though we each have families of our own, sometimes it's still just us.

"I know because two weeks ago on my birthday Mom and Dad told me my birthday story about Bob Hope and Indian babies."

Michael laughs. "Oh, now I don't feel so special anymore."

But we both feel very special. Because every year on our birthday, our parents still tell us, their middle-aged children, our "When You Were Born" stories.

Want to see more?

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• Simply Grand: The Importance of Grandparents
• Long Distance Grandparents: Creative and Fun Ways to Stay in Touch
• Talk about it!