Presence not Presents

A friend of mine recently attended a 99th birthday party. This made me wonder, "Did you get the birthday boy a present? If so, what?"

What do you get for a birthday boy or girl who is really getting up there in age? My adopted Porter grandparents always say "Your presence not your presents are requested." And it's a good thing too because Grandpop Porter just turned 85; can you imagine how much stuff he already has? Things like giant balloons and extra sweets for the dessert table are always welcome, but no one brings anything more than a card.

(The party's here)

It is nice, though, because you can relax and be excited to go to a party where you are guaranteed to have fun. I mean it. The Porters are the most fun of all people. There is always plenty of food and drink, and sometimes you get to go out on the boat. Also, sometimes my aunts will pull out their flute and guitar and play some folk music for a while. Not kidding. It's a wonderfully hippy-like experience. One of my strongest childhood memories is my uncle (with his thick, dark brown beard) singing and playing "Sally the Camel" on the guitar to entertain us kids.

I was devastated when he shaved that beard.

Anyway, back to my point. Once you hit a certain age, isn't just seeing everyone present enough? And after 85 or 99 birthdays, aren't you tired of making the "I'm pretending I like your strange gift" face?