Strawberry Fields Forever, by Martha Thomases – Brilliant Disguise

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the most important event in the history of the world.  It’s my son’s birthday.  If his Bar Mitzvah was a person, today would be his Bar Mitzvah.  As if to celebrate this milestone in greatness, the Universe brings forth strawberries in the Northeast at this time every year.  Their sun-infused sweetness, their tart bite, their cheerful color – all this makes the berries an appropriate tribute.

On that fateful day, of course, I did all the work.  Do I get presents?  What do you think?

Actually, watching children grow up is a major perk of getting older.  When I was a kid, obviously, I didn’t know any adult for his or her entire life.  Now, I do.  There are brilliant, talented, successful people whose diapers I’ve changed, whose tantrums I’ve soothed, whose first comic books I’ve bought.

Recently, I went to an event for a long-time friend, to launch her new book.  Most of her kids and step-kids were there, and it made me kvell to see them.  Not that I had anything to do with raising them, but I’d known most of them before they could vote (in some cases, before they could stand), and it was like looking at a walking, talking, charming historical record of my friendship with their mother.

So much  of our daily lives involves running on the metaphorical hamster wheel.  We go to work, run errands, eat, drink, watch television, etc.  Only some of these activities are truly necessary, in whole or in part.  I, myself, spend far too much time worrying about whether or not my cat is happy.  We keep ourselves busy, we keep ourselves amused.  If we’re blessed with families, we take care of each other.  And, if we’re not, we try to take care of our friends, or tend to our gardens.

Once you have a kid, you can no longer lie to yourself about how old you are.  There is growing evidence, in your own home, of the passing years.  You can dye your hair, exercise, and inject things into your face, but there’s no way to have a grown child and pass for 25.  Or 30.  But those activities are part of the hamster wheel, It’s perfectly fine to do those things if you have nothing else to do.

Me, I have birthdays to celebrate.

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Media Goddess Martha Thomases thinks that’s the best Halloween costume she ever made.