Birthday Gifts Get Weirder Every Year
This could be the start of a strange tradition
Why would there be an Easter Basket on my doorstep in February? Is that an ice cream cone and 3 old cell phones in the basket? How did my quirky neighbor know it was my birthday?
It was scary, honestly, to come home and find an Easter Basket filled with questionable knick-knacks. The feeling of being watched forced me and my mom inside with the door shut and locked.
“What the hell is this?” We were laughing, nervously. The contents reminded me of what a serial killer might keep as souvenirs. What I can remember:
- 3 Verizon flip phones, 2 of them were able to power on.
- A Citizen watch! The box had a green ice cream cone inside, no watch.
- Random bottle caps
I had so many thoughts, I still don’t have all the answers.
Let me rewind and tell you a bit about Ernie
A fellow Aquarius, Ernie was a wild card. He wore leggings with stars and moons, and rubber boots, just like me. He spent his day wandering the 10 acres, drinking wine, and apparently leaving me murder gifts.
My then-boyfriend, up until that point, did most of the talking to Ernie. He preferred me to be safe, and not talk to drunk, unpredictable people. I was fine with that, but sometimes boyfriends go to jail.
So I was on my own.
The sudden alone-ness was an adjustment period. I was trying to convince my Mom that I would be fine all alone out there.
The Easter Basket Birthday was not helpful in proving my point.
Odd as it was to receive such a gift, it was a pivotal moment for two reasons:
- It was the beginning of a friendship with Ernie, he’s harmless after all.
- My mom re-created that magical birthday confusion for me today!
That’s right! It was an Ernie-style surprise for my birthday. I can’t believe she remembered after all these years.
Well, it was hard to forget. Especially when we got those old cell phones charged enough to power on. Oh boy, he had some weird messages on that phone.
Was he getting scammed by a Nigerian prince who promised to share his riches? Or was that a long-winded idea of a joke?
I may never know the truth.
12,420 Days sounds like a lot.
This will be the 34th time around the sun for me. Some birthdays were fun and unforgettable, while others I wish I could forget.
The important thing has never been the presents (or whatever that was on my doorstep).
What makes me feel loved is the fact that someone was thinking about me. Somebody spent their time, a little effort, to acknowledge my birthday. That’s what makes me feel special.
This year, my mom gave me more than a box of interesting treasures. She also brought back a memory of the strangest time of my life. A time when I had to step out of my comfort zone and prove that I would be alright.
Let’s keep this party going
Here’s the fun part: Mom’s birthday is less than 2 weeks away. I need to give her birthday an unusual twist.
She started it.
I would love to get some input. So please, send your odd ideas, weird gift ideas, anything memorable!
Leave a response so I can out-weird my mother.
Because that’s what birthdays are all about, right?