10/31 -- If Today is Your Birthday...

(Happy Halloween by Kate, 2002, MSN Paint)

...If today is your birthday, then you are my Halloween Angel, Frances!

...If today is your birthday, I don't think either one of us is able to remember exactly what year it was when we met. But we both love to reminisce about what we remember of the day!

...If today is your birthday, I can remember a rainy day one April when I responded to your lovely note on a "neighbor-to-neighbor" plea for funds for the American Heart Association. You wrote, "Please come for a visit." I can't tell you how glad I am that I accepted your invitation!

...If today is your birthday, I was welcomed at your back door that day by a smile that I can only describe as "twinkly." All of these years later, that word still aptly describes you!

...If today is your birthday, the day we met was the day we discovered a mutual love of books that would bind us together through many happy years as members of the "Intimate Book Group."

...If today is your birthday, I will always associate you with one of my favorite authors -- James Thurber. I had just discovered him, and there, on your coffee table, was a large Thurber volume! (I love quirkiness in authors, and in my friends!)

...If today is your birthday, I only hope you know how much your friendship has meant to me over the years. We've shared many things besides a love of reading. You may have retired from the teaching profession before I met you, but you have never stopped being a teacher. You are one of those wonderful creatures to whom guidance comes naturally; you can't help but excite those around you about what lies just around the corner, waiting to be discovered.

...If today is your birthday, I hope it will be a day filled with all of the things you love -- Especially the blessings of your family and friends!

Happy Birthday, Frances! I love you!