Daylilies and Brown Cake

When my son Darton turned two, his birthday party featured trucks and "brown" cake--two of his favorite things at the time.  For the centerpiece I piled bright orange daylilies into an orange dump truck that had belonged to my brothers when they were young.  And now, every single year when I see daylilies, I know Darton's birthday is just around the corner.  Since he was born in summer, he was always home on his birthday, even during his college years.  But this year, for the first time ever, he won't be here.  So all week I've been thinking of birthdays past which included lots of breakfasts in bed, chocolate cakes, treasure hunts, egg drops, sports equipment, and parties in the backyard.  This year, instead of baking a cake and hanging crepe paper streamers, I'm putting a card in the mail with a check tucked inside for some new work clothes and a steak dinner.  And I'm counting the days until his next visit home.