Today is my Aunt Kathey’s 70th birthday. And I am so glad I chose to take the day off to spend it with her.

She is a very special person to me. She taught me how to play pitch and how to drive (for real do you have any idea how hard it is to have your aunt as your driver’s ed teacher?!). She and my Uncle Bob took my older sister, Emily, and I on our first flight. And that was the trip I fell in love with DC.

She taught me how to coach and to love the game of basketball. She taught me that store-bought stovetop stuffing and pies made by someone else can still show care and be delicious – it’s truly the thoughts and the prep that counts.

As we went to celebrate today, it was not only her birthday, but also the end of this pandemic that we celebrated. We last went out together in January 2020 and this celebratory lunch was much needed by both of us.

And in our true fashion, nothing goes off without a bit of a hitch. As I drove her car, she apologized a couple times – it is really hard for drivers’ ed teachers to stop instructing. But I told her I often still hear her voice as I round a curve, ‘Get into the curve before the curve gets into you.’

As we pulled up to the restaurant and I shut off the car, I thought it was more teacher coming out, as she said there is a warning, and I needed to restart the car. So I did, and shut it off only to get the same warning that the key was not detected. She was ready to get our order to go and not get stuck with a car that would not start, but after a quick call to a dealership, a short visit to the auto parts store across the street, and a changed key fob battery later, we had a car that would shut off and an incredible birthday lunch to enjoy.

The meal and the company were so wonderful. And, in honor of Uncle Bob, I ordered dessert, of which Aunt Kathey ate the strawberry, their typical ‘sharing’ of a dessert.