Early in the year, I kept mulling over ideas for Dad’s birthday. July 17th lands right in the thick of preparations for our biggest annual fundraiser at work. It had been years since I’d made it to Pennsylvania for his birthday. But turning 90 is a milestone, one that deserved something special.
My Pennsylvania trips are usually 10 to 14 days long, but this time I simply couldn’t manage that, so I booked a flight for an extended weekend. I hadn’t flown since we took Hannah to Disney in 2003 so it was time to get back in the swing of things.
Then I started pondering a gift. At 90, there’s not a whole lot one needs. I finally settled on “Your Life in Newspaper Headlines” from Wonderbly.
It’s a personalized book containing a lifetime of newspaper headlines, including the front page of the Washington Post for every birthday since the day he was born. There’s also a review of major stories from each decade of his life. I thought it would be a fun way to reminisce—and far better than another t-shirt or box of candy.
For Dad’s 83rd, I created a poster collage; for his 84th, I recruited his friends to film birthday wishes. This year, I emailed everyone I could think of who might know my dad and asked them to send him a 90th birthday card. His closest friends helped spread the word, too. The fun started when Dad called to say he’d received a card from a Norwich University classmate he hadn’t spoken to since graduation. How would this fellow know to send a card? And they kept coming—long-time friends, the VFW, folks from his Military Officers Association of America group, the Norwich University cheerleaders!, and even my friends, all reaching out with well-wishes. It wasn’t until I arrived in PA that I let it slip I might have had a hand in spreading the word. The louvered hallway door where Dad displays his cards is packed double-deep.
We’re not a big party kind of group, but a family dinner with my brothers, sister-in-law, nephew, and niece at an excellent steakhouse—with a “Manhattan menu” to build your own drink—was a hit.
We finished the night with a Black Forest cake I ordered from the bakery my mom always used for special occasions.
It was a fast-and-furious trip, and with work, this is the first chance I’ve had to sit down and reflect. I think we made Dad’s 90th a truly memorable day. Happy Birthday, Dad!
