The month of April has always been special in my family. For us, it is a month full of birthdays. Here’s how it goes: My husband’s birthday is April 2, my birthday is April 3, my sister’s is April 10, my father’s was on April 11, my sister’s husband was on April 10, too, and their twins were born on April 12. How’s that for a birthday month?

My childhood family usually had an everyone-come birthday party at my parents’ home. It would usually include my aunt and her family (six in all), and my parents and my sister and me. Then, any relative in town from Montana and their family. It was not unusual to have 20 people and they all seemed to talk at once. This is a happy memory, but as the years stacked up and the cousins and my sister and me, too, grew up, we all started to move away from Spokane. We exchanged cards and sometimes presents, but it didn’t seem to be all that special any more. Especially for me — my birthday was just another day and I was a year older.

All that said, this year is different. It is a milestone for me so this year I’m celebrating big time … I’m going to San Francisco. The plan is to have my birthday lunch at the top of the Mark Hopkins Hotel, do Chinatown, stroll around Fisherman’s Wharf, visit my best friend from high school, and whatever else I can talk my husband into.

Speaking of birthdays, remember how important some birthdays were? Especially with my children; I remember the holding up of two fingers and proudly saying “I am 2.” Then the next milestone was “I am 5, I go to school.” And who can forget “I am 13,  I am a teenager,” or “I am 16, I can drive.” And then “I am 18 and going away to college;” and “I’m 21 now, want to join me for a drink?”

Not all birthdays are ones we want to happen. Do you remember when you had a bad milestone birthday? Was it at 30 or 40 or maybe 50 or 60? But now you know life didn’t really change all that much — just maybe your attitude did.

So now you know that attitude is everything when facing another birthday, take a minute to plan how you will spend this special day in 2012. Do something special for yourself, no matter what else is planned. You are special and deserve it. And when I see you next time, we can compare notes.  Happy Birthday in 2012, and many more.

— Contact Donna Lee Anderson at welltoldtales@aol.com.