The "My Youngest Reaches A Milestone" Story

It was an ordinary day.  April 9th and we're sitting in a restaurant/bar by the name of Trios along SR23/Marietta Pike in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  We are here today to celebrate the 40th birthday of Tad, Carol and my youngest child.  Actually, his name is Paul, but I probably haven't called him that more than a couple of dozen times in his life.  His grandfather's name was Paul so we called him by his middle name to make life easier for both Tad and his grandfather.  

Big smile from everyone at the birthday party.

Not a real big party today, just a gathering of family and his best friend and family.  When our oldest son turned 40 there was also a celebration with family and friends which was thrown by his wife.  Then when my daughter turned 40 her husband threw a big party in their home town of Urbana, Maryland.  So, Tad talked to us about a party and said he didn't want any thing big, so we had a fun party with the most important people in his life.  

Tad blows the candles out.

He had hoped his other best friend, Chad, was going to be there, but he had been ill for over a year and died two weeks ago.  Tough when you are turning 40 and someone the same age as you dies before they get to attend your birthday party.  Makes you realize how precious life can be.  His friend Josh was a classmate and fellow hockey player for over 32 years now.  They played on the same youth teams and still play hockey together on weekends.  The two of them were the best skaters on their youth team and can still skate rings around everyone on their adult team.  We gathered for lunch today with Tad's sister Brynn and her daughter Courtney, brother Derek with his wife Barb and son Caden as well as Josh and his wife Donya and step-daughter Kennedy.  

High-Fives for Tad and his best friend Josh.

We had a great time talking about just about everything.  One of the topics was the couple of inches of snow we had a couple of hours earlier.  Tad said the snow was a first for his birthday.  Everyone ordered off the menu and the food was great bar food.  Then came time for the cake and the singing.  Carol had baked what she calls a Wacky Cake for him.  

Josh's step-daughter Kennedy shares
a smile with my granddaughter Courtney.

All joined in and Tad had help from  Kennedy in blowing out the candles.  The birthday cake was the hit of the party.  Tad gave a piece to our waitress and she told my wife it was excellent.  Must have been, since there wasn't any to bring home!  Usually getting older doesn't bother me, but I must admit that knowing that all my children have now reached the milestone 40 years of age, it makes me realize that I better do everything I still have on my bucket list before it's too late.  Won't be long before our oldest reaches the half-century mark.  Hope I get to sing Happy Birthday once again at that celebration. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Just had to get a photograph of my three kids, Brynn, Tad and Derek.