The Birthday Banner Story

Hello! My husband's birthday is tomorrow, but I kicked off the festivities a few days early by putting out some birthday decorations - the various cards our daughter and I have made him, (plus those given by others) a magazine that came out around the time of his birth, and a few other things. And, as always, I hung  up this:

This thin plastic birthday greeting actually came as a long banner of three "happy birthdays". The total length was nine feet long and although very festive, was a bit unwieldy to hang up. I eventually cut the three sections apart and now display them in different parts of the house. 

The banner is getting a little beat up, which is understandable since I've had it since the mid 1980's. My party-loving older sister bought the banner for one of my birthdays back then; I think it had been sold by the length at a stationery/party supply store. 

I was still living in Michigan at that time, then moved out of state, first to Wisconsin, then to Pennsylvania, then to Indiana before moving back to Michigan in 2002. With each move, the banner came along and was a reminder of home when I was no longer able to be there for my birthday. 

And now, today, this banner is a reminder of the sister who bought it for me almost 30 years ago. She died, too soon, on this date in 1998. I am sure she'd be pleased that I've kept this bit of birthday decor all this time, and I sure am pleased that I've done so.