thank you

all you Shailja-blog readers who sent me happy birthday emails this past week. I'm touched and amazed that people not only noted the date from my last year's birthday postings, but that they put it on their calendars, noticed it was coming up, acknowledged it.

Both heartwarming, and guilt-inducing, since I was born without the birthday-tracking brain lobe. I forget birthdays with monotonous regularity - including those of my immediate family, close friends, godchildren.