My Parents Canceled My Birthday Every Yr Bc My Brothers Travel Tournaments Were More Important…
The Ghost at the Kitchen Table
“Don’t make a fuss; your brother has regionals that weekend. It’s more important than a cake.”
That’s what my mom said the year I turned 16. I was wearing a red dress I bought with babysitting money. I was sitting alone at the kitchen table while she packed sandwiches for my brother’s soccer team.
“We’ll make it up to you next year, sweetheart.”
Next year never came. Hi, I’m Natalie, and I haven’t had a birthday party since I was nine. Every single year from middle school through college, my birthday was unfortunately overlapping with my brother’s tennis, basketball, football, or whatever sport he was into that season.
I stopped asking. I stopped reminding, and eventually, I stopped showing up to their events, too. This included graduations, anniversaries, and even Thanksgiving. I became too busy, probably with friends or probably working.
They never called to ask. They never noticed when I missed Christmas brunch for three years in a row. But I remembered everything: every missed candle, every excuse.
