We had Big Plans.
First, there was the cruise. Mum’s idea – Mum and Dad enjoy cruising. It’s not something I’ve ever done, although I’ve spent plenty of time on ships.
Both Mum and I will be having Big Birthdays this year – she will turn 90 in October, I’ll be 60 in November. Mum’s idea was that I should join them on a cruise to celebrate both of our Big Birthdays. We were going to do Denmark and Scandinavia. We were looking forward to it.
And I was very aware of the fact that most people don’t have 90 year old parents who can plan their own birthday celebrations.
It was all booked for the last week of August. Well, obviously it didn’t happen, and we knew very early on that it wouldn’t happen, so although it was disappointing, it was just one of those things, couldn’t be helped. We got over it, pretty much.
Instead, Mum suggested that we get the gang together for the weekend nearest to her birthday. There would be 12 of us, for two nights in a hotel and a big meal on the Saturday night. Everyone had taken time out of their lives, it was all booked. It was going to be fun.
Then, with less than a month to go, the rule of 6 came along, and the Big Birthday Weekend has had to be cancelled. Mum is so disappointed. I tried to arrange an Emergency Birthday Party for last Saturday, before the new rules came into force – I was able to get the venue, but with only two days to go there just wasn’t enough notice to get everyone together.
It looks like it will just be myself and my parents now, out for a meal. Which will be pleasant, but a mere shadow of what had been originally planned. It’s such a great shame. And no, we can’t comfort ourselves with the thought that we can do it next year instead – you only turn 90 once. And, all joking apart, you can’t rely on being able to try again next year. And besides, Covid won’t be over by then.
What should have been a Big Birthday is turning into a Very Small Birthday.
And I haven’t even bothered trying to organise anything for my Big Birthday in November. There doesn’t seem a lot of point.
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