Happy Birthday(S)!!!

There are eight children in my family, and I am the fifth child. My brother Bill is two years younger than I am. His birthday is June 22 and mine is June 29. This year he turned 70, and his children planned a big party for him in Boise, Idaho on June 29 because his family couldn’t all gather on June 22. Because his party was being held on my birthday, his children wanted to make sure that I was not forgotten! Before Bill’s party, they presented me with a special cake and had a little celebration for me, too! It was all so fun!

We were asked to contribute memories for a memory book, which was being compiled for Bill. This is one memory I shared:

Bill was always looking out for other people. When he was in high school, he had a friend who couldn’t get a girl to go to the prom with him. Bill wanted to go on a double date with this friend, so he asked me to come home from college at BYU in Provo, Utah and be his friend’s date in Boise, Idaho. So, I did! When it was time to take pictures at the dance, his friend thought it would be weird for us to have our picture taken together since he really didn’t know me, so Bill and I had our picture taken to remember the evening. When I look at this picture, I always remember Bill’s kind heart and his concern for others!

I am grateful for the family relationships I have and for the love and fun times that bind us together. Being part of a family is a great blessing as we continually move forward to strengthen each other, forgive and forget past offences, and remember to appreciate what we have learned from each other over the years. It’s a miracle when a family can all be happy together!

My brother Bill is sitting in the middle wearing his birthday banner. I am sitting to his right!