I'm going down memory lane because it's that time of year... Mama's birthday. Douglass and I would always do something special for her birthday. When she was physically able to make the trip, we'd take her out to eat in a restaurant. It didn't matter where we went to eat but she always wanted Italian. If not, we'd bring her over to our home for a night of birthday celebration and cook her favorite meal - spaghetti and meatballs. We usually bought her flowers and clothes but she really loved it when we bought her balloons. She would insist on attaching the balloons to her walker, and in later years to her wheelchair.
She kept the balloons attached to her walker for weeks. She would do this for the attention and the joy of getting noticed (as if she needed more attention). She played the "birthday card" until those balloons had their last ounce of helium in them. She'd continue to get extra birthday cake for weeks from visitors and the staff because everyday was her birthday as long as she had her balloons! And if you knew Mama or have read anything about her, you know she loved her cake.
Whenever I see balloons I think of Mama and her never ending birthday. It lasted as long as the balloons and the endless amount of cake. So this year Douglass and I will toast Mama again and be on the lookout for any stray balloons. We learned early on to always know your loved ones "happy place." Happy birthday, Mama.
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