If you say it's my birthday

Then you'd be right.

When I was in counseling for my miscarriages, my therapist told me I had to celebrate the day I was born. And I am pretty glad about it. So here we are.

A few things about me.

Then:

My name was almost Joy Noel. I guess my mom had a case of the crazy pregnant lady, because that combination was apparently on the table. If I was a boy? Paul. Somehow we got Christine, for Christmas. Actually, much better than Christmas. What if my name had been Christmas? I shudder.

My mom brought me home from the hospital on Christmas day. In a stocking. I have now inherited the stocking.

Instead of a mistake, I was a "happy surprise" after a vacation to Florida. Seven years after my nearest sibling was born. I was some kind of surprise, I'll say that.

I had the most spankings of any of the five other children in the family by the time I was 10. I think this was because the other 5 children were quite masterful at blaming me for everything.

How can I tell if someone is a true friend? No Christmas wrapping on my birthday presents. No "combination" presents. And no referring to Christmas on my birthday.

I used to hate it when my sister and brother called me by the name they made up for me: orkyshnorkhummer. I would get so mad and hurt. I have no idea why.

Now:

I always bring my cell phone in with me to places even if I'll only be a few minutes: daycare, 7-11, bank, gas station. This is because I think at some point I will be one of the patrons during a robbery, and I will need to call the police.

I carry a pair of chopsticks with me in my purse most of the time. The disposable kind, not the nice kind. I think one day I'll have to use them. You never know. My sister Barbara told me once that this fact proved to her that I was her sister.

I am drawn to black and white photographs of people from "olden times." I always feel like I will recognize someone, even if they lived a hundred years ago.

I keep a running list of possible aliases for myself made out of real names I see every day so that they are believable. Just in case. Needless to say, during phonebanking for the Obama campaign, I got a few good ones. To date my favorite is Lolita Breckenridge. I can't tell you the others, for obvious reasons.

Things I am always in the mood to shop for: comforter and sheets, dishes, headbands for my hair and lipstick.