PART FOUR
THE BIRTHDAY CARD
Special thanks to Brian Dahlen and Moody Radio for allowing us to share this series with our readers.
WORDS BY: BRIAN DAHLEN
Last month, Brian Dahlen shared that after the passing of Grandma Betty, the relationship between Grandpa Tom and Brian’s dad, Bill, quickly began to erode with three marked incidents: 1) the returned inheritance check, 2) the requested train set that suddenly disappeared, and 3) the road map for apparently insufficient directions. And now, for the final straw … the birthday card.
IN THE ONE-HOUR CONVERSATION with my parents, they gave me a detailed account of the birthday card incident, which was the event that led to the break in our relationship with Grandpa Tom. Brian’s Mom: “If you look at a calendar year, your birthday is first in the year, Brian. Your birthday is in February and then your brother is April, I’m May, and Dad is September. And one year, February came for your birthday, and we didn’t hear from him … And then April came, and your brother got a birthday card [and a check]. And you said, ‘Why didn’t Grandpa send me a birthday card?’ And then it was May, and it was my birthday, and nothing. And I remember telling your dad, ‘If you get a birthday card, we’re going to have some trouble here.’” September came around and my dad received a birthday card and a check. My mom didn’t think it was fair that my brother and my dad received a birthday card from Grandpa Tom while she and I didn’t.
20
PLAIN VALUES
JUNE 2023
