The Birthday Luke’s Been Waiting For

Don’t tell my son Luke this, but his third birthday is today.

He’s keenly aware of the fact that he’s three. It’s just, according to him, he’s been in birthday mode for a few weeks. It all started a few weeks ago, when we were talking about birthdays and telling him his birthday is coming up, to which he replied that that day was his birthday. That led to him repeatedly singing “Happy Birthday” to himself. In an effort to have some fun with him, I told him that day was my birthday and started to sing to myself. He promptly cut me off, looked me in the eye and said “Happy birthday to not you.”

Every time since then, whether it was in a restaurant where the wait staff sang to a customer or at the zoo where we passed someone telling a kid happy birthday, Luke has told me that that day was his birthday. I’ve dreaded/anticipated the follow-up, him going up to the person and giving them a “happy birthday to not you,” but mercifully, that hasn’t happened. Thankfully, he’s kept that to just me. So it makes me feel special.

Anyway, happy birthday, Luke!

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