Phyllis turns 91

A year ago my mom celebrated her 90th birthday. My sisters and I put together a luncheon for her and 40 of her friends; there could have been more invited but we needed to limit the list because of space. My mom still talks about it.; it was a gorgeous event

So today, for her 91st, my mom has lunch again at the same place, the Flying Bridge. This time, it's a tiny group. But my sister sends a photo, and the weather looks as beautiful as it was last year.

We are a close family, but pretty spread out geographically — Massachusetts, New York (the city and Long Island), Greenwich, Philadelphia, LA  and Barcelona. So we decide to surprise my mom with a little Zoom get-together after her luncheon.

My mom is thrilled at seeing everyone.

And, it turns into a real family gathering. After the polite happy birthdays and blowing out of the candles, we evolve into life updates and of course politics. The big message being that everyone needs to register and vote. Unspoken (but understood) is where our politics all lean.

Abbey brings some humor to the conversation. "You know. I'm sure that right now in Texas someone is having a birthday celebration on Zoom, and they are saying the exact same thing we all are. Be sure to vote."

We all laughed at the words that were unsaid.

Happy 91st, mom. Your family and friends love you.