on two different email accounts i have received an email from shalom, one of my best friends for the longest time, asking me to help her remember my birthday. i'm sure that this is one of those automated emails from a site that offers a "birthday alarm" service. but just the same, it's a little unnerving for me to get this from a person who has known me for more than 10 years. my birthday is on All Saint's Day. it happens right after Halloween. how many people can a person know in their entire lifetime that celebrates their birthday on All Saint's Day?!?


i'm not making this a big issue. after all, i'm pretty sure that being a very busy working mom and wife is enough to make her forget everybody's birthday. i just can't help but be both saddened nd alarmed by it all. me being me, i'm thinking, as i sat there looking at the subject "help me remember your birthday" or something of the like, that maybe we have been "estranged" for so long that she needs to be reminded of certain things about me now.


valentine's day is fast approaching. i would like to invite her and naomi on a girl's night out like we always did way back when. all three of us would go out and have fun on valentine's day for every year since all three of us met and became friends. but keith and i are going out of town to go to his uncle's funeral. naomi's most likely busy. she doesn't even bother to text these days. and shalom, well... i don't think she could spare time away from her hubby and kids.*sigh* so i guess there won't be a girl's night out on valentine's day this year. maybe next year. i'll keep my fingers crossed on this one as well and i'll keep edna st.vincent millay's words in mind:


life must go on though good men die.life must go on... i forget just why.