Wendy and I were born not quite a year apart - she was born on May 18 sometime in the 20th century and I was born the following year on May 10. When we were little, Mum used to invite the neighbourhood kids over for cake and ice cream on May 14 to celebrate both of our birthdays together at the midpoint between our birthdays.
The reason I'm bringing this up now is that yesterday I received a birthday card from Wendy - two weeks early - but I know it'll be the first of many I'll get from her this year. I don't know when it started, by whom, or why, but for lots of years now we've been sending each other half a dozen or more cards every year in the couple of weeks before our birthday - most of them funny or insulting with at least one 'nice' one. I start collecting cards to send to her shortly after our birthdays are over and save them until the time is right to send them. A fun tradition to look forward to each year.
