Today is Dad's 71st birthday. I usually call him to wish him a happy birthday. Because of his limited command of English, the conversation is no more than a few minutes. He then puts Mom on the phone for me to find out how things really are. My phone call today wasn't any different.
For the second time in about 3-4 years, both my parents forgot about today. No, I'm not worried that they're suffering memory loss. It's just that both of them like my brother Sherman don't like to make a big deal about their birthdays. I think it's a cultural thing, as Chinese value the importance of family over individuals. On the other hand, it can also inhibit a person to speak up for himself/herself.
Mom's birthday is in less than a month. I need to make sure I call. One year I forgot and Dad called the next day to remind me. It caused a slight tarnish in my otherwise scary recall abilities. Not to worry, it remains intact. I got yesterday notification of 2 possible matches of people I once knew previously. One was the right person, the other wasn't. I knew this because the high school and current residence matched what I remembered. The other wasn't as the birthday was different.
Just don't count on me as your star witness at a murder trial.
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