Made in 1955

10929023_10205111546175703_6801229274550883286_n

My phone rang a few minutes after 6:00 this morning. Since it is January, it felt like 3:30 am. It was my dad. As soon as my mind registered that it was him, and that today is his birthday – his great big splashy 60th birthday, no less – I felt sure he was calling to tell me it was his birthday.  Sort of like a reverse happy birthday greeting.  And I felt a touch of guilt because he had to call me before I could call him even though the sun wasn’t up.

But of course that wasn’t what was happening.

“Hi, Dad. Happy Birthday,” I said, in what was no doubt my sluggish morning voice that sounds most like a sleepy child.

“Hi, sweetheart. Happy birthday to me,” he said. He had definitely been awake longer. “I want to have a breakfast birthday part at 7:00. Pancakes at IHOP. Do you think we can do it?”

Of course we can do it. It’s what we do in this family of mine.

My bleary-eyed boys were enchanted by the morning adventure, and they mobilized in no time at all. Right on schedule, we arrived at IHOP just after 7:00.  One of us parties in her jammies at such an hour, curly bedhead notwithstanding.  But everyone else was impeccably ready for a party.

Three orders of CinnaStacks (which are the passionate love child of cinnamon rolls and pancakes), two Funny Faces (chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream faces and cherry eyeballs), chocolate milk for two, coffee for one, diet coke for two, and bacon for five.  Our server was a bald black man named Pinky.

I gave my dad a most suitable t-shirt:
Made in 1955. All Original Parts.

Nobody should ever say the best birthday parties happen after dinner.10929023_10205111546175703_6801229274550883286_n

Tricia Lott Williford

Comments are closed

  1. Ohhhh! That brought a tear to my eyes! I LOVE the photo and story!! How blessed you all are! Thank you for sharring that!

  2. Your dad is exactly one month and two weeks younger than I am. I think it’s marvelous that he wanted a Birthday Breakfast Bash, and I love the picture of all of you. Your “bedhead” is especially cute, simply because it will be a lasting memory. Your boys will say, “Remember that time Poppa (Or Grandpa) turned 60 and we had a Breakfast Birthday Bash?” Families need memories like this. You are great at providing them.

  3. GREAT present!

  4. I love it!

You Are Safe Now

Available April 9, 2024

This Book Is for You

Now Available
A book about falling in love with the Bible

Just. You. Wait.

Now Available
#1 New Title on Amazon in Christian Inspiration

You Can Do This

Now Available
#1 New Title on Amazon in Women's Issues!

Let's Pretend We're Normal

Now Available
#1 Bestseller on Amazon in Single Parenting

And Life Comes Back

Now Available
#1 in Denver Post: Nonfiction Paperback and Finalist for 2015 Christian Book Award
© 2015-2024 Tricia Lott Williford. All Rights Reserved. Site by Concept To Web.