Celia I enjoyed your Birthday Gift essay I made some suggestions Jill
jill stockinger
Dear Celia- A very enjoyable essay! And a WELL-DESERVED gift! Good for you! Jill
A GIFT TO MYSELF by Celia McCauley
I know I am
not the only person that, when it comes to effort
or spending money (better reversed so spending is not attributed to both words)
on a gift for anyone I care (for-or-about), my limits
are as high as possible. However, when
it comes to me, it is a different story. This became especially true after a certain age, and
perhaps because, (comma) after a few decades
of accumulating “treasures,” I buy whatever I can afford, and if I can't
afford it, I tell myself I don't need it, at
least for now.
This year,
it looked like it was going to be difficult to celebrate my birthday with the family
as we had done in the past. The date was in the middle of the workweek (one word)
and trying to get everyone together was becoming
(less use of “get”) more complicated as the
time approached. There was an already scheduled medical appointment, a couple
of family members would be out of state and
circumstances prevented the presence of others. A birthday is always a
great excuse to have the family get together,
so I decided whichever day we all could meet would
be the right date. I asked the family to work it out, among them, (not
needed- Said “the family”) as long as the
date would be close enough to my
real birthday. As it was, Monday evening became
the chosen date. Monday was before one
member had to travel to the east coast, others members would have just arrived back from a weeklong trip and work schedules had been taken into consideration. I realized The significant effort of each member was indeed,
the best gift I could receive from them, and I
made sure they knew that.
Monday came
and so did the family, some came
directly from work and others from the airport. There was food and drinks for
all. The laughter and the familiar loud talk of work, medical issues and their own recent
experiences made for an enjoyable evening. The house felt alive!
The next
day, while I was perusing musical programs in my laptop, an idea came to me. I
could still have a birthday to look forward to and
a gift I could give myself. That was
something I had never done before. I
would so much like to attend the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera’s performance of Dvorak’s 9th Symphony, From the New World.
However, I soon realized I no longer had the friends I
used to go with, and going by myself was not as
appealing, considering the logistics of the trip downtown to the SAFE C.U.
Performing Art Center. (Should I name the venue? Yes! )
Why not
invite a friend who would love to attend and
enjoy the concert but can't afford
going?
I decided to
offer this gift to two young ex-neighbors. (period)
whom even Though I don’t see them very often, they keep in touch
and had made plans to take me to lunch “just
because.”
I also realized that, (comma) because it would mean purchasing three tickets, this might end up being a more expensive gift than I had intended for myself. Then I thought, it is a gift to myself. They deserve it, and I deserve it!
When I proposed the date and the outing to my young friends, I had to insist that (no comma) this was my gift, (comma) and my only request was to be able to ride with them.
“Of course, but It is way too generous, please let us pay for our own tickets,” they protested.
I pretended to be offended (no comma) and convinced them that I was buying my own gift, and as “the senior” of the trio, my wishes should be respected. They saw through my charade, but the matter was settled.
The day of the concert, all three of us were ready for an evening of great music, dressed appropriately for the event, and happy to spend this time together. The concert was the debut in the USA of a Cuban director who was given such a standing ovation, she needed to come back to the stage three times to thank her audience and the orchestra. By the end of the day, we all agreed it had been a great evening.
Looking back at the week, I realized I had more celebrations than any time previously: the gift of a classical music concert, a family gathering, lunch with my SSG group, and ending with the visit, late that evening, of two dear good friends who shared some of my left-over cake, drinks and animated conversation. One more gift was the good news that came the next day from Ben’s doctor: “Everything looks OK.”
I agree with one of my good friend’s children that (no comma) it is a good idea to celebrate a birthday more than once, especially if you belong to the “senior” category. And I add to that, (not Might add) it would also be a good idea to give yourself that gift you have been thinking about.
Go ahead, treat yourself and be sure to enjoy it!