Election day memories...

I do not have time to write this tonight, but it popped into my head tonight and I wanted to make sure I wrote it down.

I feel all sorts of nervous about the election tomorrow. I'm probably not going to turn the TV on all day long, then turn it on the morning of my birthday and see which president I get for my birthday. My birthday is always right around or on election day, and I have gotten a president or two.

 Today I got a birthday card from my Mother-in-law. It's probably the only birthday card I'll get  since mostly people resort to the facebook birthday salute these days (which I'm guilty of as well.... *added to my list of things to be better about*). But it's fun to get a birthday card. It took me back to the days when I used to get two birthday cards every year. One from each of my grandmas. I always loved getting Grandma Stewart's birthday card, with her gorgeous, flowing script, accompanied by generous, beautifully wrapped gifts (always wrapped in tissue paper, then wrapped in wrapping paper. Her talent did not pass on to me...). Grandma Stewart sent a card for every holiday, even Halloween, and it was always accompanied by some cash. Man, as a kid, didn't you always feel so special when you got MONEY? I think I miss the Halloween cards the most. But I digress....

 The other birthday card was always from Grandma Shirley. It was always a card, with a check for $10 and in the subject line of the check, she had always written a note in shorthand (so who knows what it said??). The best part of my birthday cards from her, which were usually the only communication I had from her all year long, was that she always talked about whatever election was coming up. It was hilarious. I remember the year it was Bush v. Gore and she could barely handle how nervous she was about the election, and that's what my entire birthday card was about. Dan and I went to visit her when I was VERY pregnant with Ben and we both laughed when we went into her bedroom: on one wall she had probably 9 or 10 pictures of my family, the grandkids, etc... On the facing wall?? 20 or 30 pictures of various republican candidates. She was as republican as you can get, and she had gotten most of her pictures as thank you gifts for donating to their campaigns.

 So tonight, on election day eve, I'm nervous about the election, but really I'm just sitting here missing my Grandmas. And I know, if they could, they'd each send me a birthday card, special in its own way.