Pixabay
My nineteenth birthday was spent as part of the volunteer work staff at a Christian camp in Upstate New York. My primary duty was washing dishes in the kitchens, and in particular the pots and pans. It was a hot and time consuming job.
Not wanting to make a fuss, and to do my duty, I allowed my birthday to pass away virtually unnoticed. As I was finishing my shift, one of the supervisors asked if I had had a good day. I responded by saying it had been busy, but not bad; though it was kind of strange for a birthday.
He said that I should have said something, and they would have done something special. He then asked if I had ever been sailing. When I replied that I hadn’t, he took me down to the lake and gave me a private lesson.
A sailing lesson
On a birthday nearly missed
Friendship on a lake
Padre
dVerse Birthday Haibun
A beautiful haibun ✨
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How wonderful for the adult in charge to turn a nondescript birthday into a pleasant memory.
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Wow, that was AWESOME of your supervisor to do that. So very kind, and I can imagine the impact of that memory alone. It sounds quite beautiful. I as well adore the haiku–very evocative with beautiful detail. It sounds like a happy memory made. ❤
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What a great birthday! I enjoyed reading this.
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I’m glad that they took you sailing. That was very kind of him
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What a wonderful thing for your supervisor to do! A sailing lesson and friendship on a lake beat candles and cake hands down, especially after a long, hot day washing pots and pans.
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It was indeed special. The memory was buried by time and life, but it was the prompt that brought it from its hibernation. Eric would be in his late 60s or 70s now, but his actions that day helped frame me.
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Aah!! That sounds like fun. Turned out to be a good birthday after all.
Pat
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A wonderful unexpected celebration. (K)
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What a memorable experience for your birthday! The power of kindness can last a lifetime. I’ve always loved doing something completely new or adventurous on my birthday. Sailing sounds exciting.
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