Having posted above, I'm wondering why I posted; as far as I can remember, I've never before posted to such a personal thread - to a "Happy birthday...", "Welcome to...", "Congratulations to..." thread. Not because I don't wish good wishes (or whatever) to the subject of the thread, but because personal effusiveness is not my style. But this thread seems different (to me): my parents were a lot older than the parents of other kids of my age (my father was 60 when I was born, my mother 40). I never knew my parents as people, only as parents (initially) and dying-people (later - both parents were dying lengthily when I was a teenager; relief, rather than sadness, was what I felt when they died). So all you folks with aged parents: enjoy them while you can. Treasure their insight, experience, memories, knowledge; consider their advice, don't just reject it because they're old; rejoice in their friendship and reflect friendship back to them.

My own kids are now at that stage of turning from children into friends. I hope that that transformation can be successful.

If youth but knew; if age but could.

Happy birthday, Sparky.