A little perspective for ya

So.... I just had my 22nd birthday about a week and a half ago. It was not the worst birthday but it wasn't the best either. If anything I gained a new perspective on what is most important and that is the perfect gift for me. So the story goes like this: Every year the Shupe Family Reunion falls on the weekend of my birthday. It just does and I don't mind (get to see all my family on my dad's side, who could ask for more?). I couldn't go last year because I had work. I could't go the year before that because I was in Flagstaff and couldn't afford the drive. So needless to say I miss my extended family and really wanted to see them and I really thought I was this year. My plan for the day was to help Stephanie, my land lady, with moving a stove, refrigerator, and a microwave from Fillmore back to Duchesne, get back in time for Dylan and I to leave around 5 or 6 and get to Bear Lake around 8 or 9 at night. I was expecting to hear from Dylan around noon to see when he was going to get off exactly but I never heard from him until 6 pm so Stephanie had the idea, why not have someone come pick me up in Salt Lake? I didn't think it would be that much of a hassle so I proposed it to my dad and he told me Angela was already heading towards that way to pick up John so try to coordinate with her. She had already picked John up by the time I contacted her and we weren't even in Fillmore yet so long story short, it didn't happen and to be honest, it hurt my feelings. I'd like to think that if the roles were reversed, even if I had driven 14-15 hours, I would turn around and get one of my siblings. Especially if it was their birthday. But who knows how I would really react. All the day through though, my family had been wishing my a "Happy Birthday". I even got one from my cousin Corey. That night, when we finally got home, I looked on Facebook to see all the "Happy Birthday" wishes there but there were none. Not a single one. When Dylan got home he had a card, wooden flowers, and a movie for me. When I told him about the Facebook disappointment he reminded me that my family had wished me happy birthday. That was one of those moments when it kind of slaps you in the face. Like "Duh! Of course your family wanted to see you but things just didn't match up and that's no ones fault. These are the people that will always care about you and will take the time to call you and sing the 'Happy Birthday' song." So thank you family of mine for loving me the way that you do and thank you friends for not wishing me a happy birthday so I could appreciate my family more.