JANUARY 24, 1970: COMING OF AGE

The light of the morning sun splashed over my eyes causing me to stir out of my slumber. I was about ready to fall back to sleep since it was Saturday. But as my mind started to focus, I quickly got up.

It was my birthday! My tenth birthday! I am always excited when it is my birthday. Who wouldn’t be, with all the food and presents? But this was an extra special day, because I was turning ten. This was a very important age for us Hardwoods.

I raced out of my bedroom, down the stairs and into the kitchen. Just like last year the kitchen was all decorated in celebration of the day of my birth. There was a banner taped to the back wall reading “Happy tenth birthday” and streamers hanging from the wall. My mother was in the kitchen fixing my birthday breakfast. The smell of the sausages and eggs tickled by nose and made my stomach growl in protest.

My mother turned around to face me. “You know that breakfast is not until eight o’clock on a Saturday morning.” My mother said with one hand on her hip. “And just look at you, you didn’t even change or bathe yet.”

I looked down at myself. I was still in my pajamas and I am sure that my hair was all a mess as it was every time I woke up in the morning. “Now, young man, go upstairs and come back down looking a little more presentable.” I grinned back at her. It was the first time she ever called me “young man” it was either “Kevin” or “child.”

“Yes, mama,” I replied before racing back to my room.


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Ten minutes before eight I came back downstairs, clean and dressed. My father was sitting in his chair, his head hiding behind the morning paper. My little sister was lying down on the floor with her chin resting on her hands watching cartoons. I also had an older brother, but he was no where in sight. I assumed he must be getting his morning chores done before breakfast.

My father put down the newspaper and looked at me. “Happy birthday, son.”

“Happy birthday, Kevin,” my sister Jenny said without looking up from the television.

“Go ahead and have a seat,” my father said. “Breakfast won’t be ready for a few more minutes.”

I sat down on the sofa and my father went back to reading the paper. I was trying to watch television, but I was too excited. Just then my brother Luke came in the front door. He took off his gloves. “The driveway is all cleared out, dad,” he said.

“Good, good,” my father said. He looked over at me, “When we are finished eating we are going to visit your Uncle Justin.” My Uncle Justin owned a farm out in the country. I guessed I was going to be assigned chores there.

“Sure dad,” was all I could say as Luke smirked at me.

“Breakfast is now ready,” my mother shouted from the kitchen. We all filed to the dining room table. There was everything that you could think of on the table: sausage, bacon, eggs cooked in a variety of ways, pancakes, milk and orange juice. It was enough to feed a family twice our size at least.

My father stood up and raised his glass of orange juice. “Kevin is no longer a child,” he said as if reciting a speech. “He is now a young man and with that comes privileges and responsibilities. It was only three years ago when Luke became a young man, and in two more years Jenny will be a young woman.” He paused briefly clearing his throat. “Happy Birthday, Kevin, may you continue to make our family proud as you become a teenager.”

“Happy birthday,” everyone chimed in.