Share & Share Alike

by Susan Sey

This is going to be a quick one because I'm in the process of adoring my new nephew, & it's time consuming. That new baby smell is mesmerizing. Hours could go by while I inspect his teeny weeny fingernails. He is coming home today so I confess right up front I will be busy. We have business, this child & I, so it's likely I will be scarce. Sorry.

But I did want to mention this odd bit of coincidence: Robbie was born July 2. My mother's birthday is July 1. My mother is from Ireland, and St. Patrick's Day is a big holiday for our family. My latest niece (the equally adorable Claire) arrived the day after St. Patrick's Day. My oldest child was born on my parents' 38th wedding anniversary, & my sister shares a wedding anniversary with my parents-in-law.

My birthday is August 29, the same day as Hurricane Katrina. Another of my sisters' birthdays is September 11. My father's birthday is the day after Christmas, a birthday he shares with the new baby's father, my brother-in-law.

This seems like a lot of coincidence. We're not an extraordinarily large family, so odds don't favor this kind of overlap. Are we just lucky? Or do all families have this kind of share & share alike mentality for important dates?

How about you? Are there any big dates & seasons of celebration in your family? What are they? Do you make a point of giving each person their own celebration, or do you go in for the One Big Party?