I'm gutted! Devastated! Humiliated! OK, I'll calm down in a minute, but I don't think you can blame me for being upset. For the whole of my life, I've believed something about myself (obviously told to me by my parents) which I've just discovered isn't true!
I'd better explain. The other day we were talking with our eldest daughter about which days of the week the grandchildren were born on. We had a Monday's child first; and the new babies have been Sunday, Saturday and Friday in that order. You know the old rhyme, don't you? Monday's child is fair of face, etc. So we got to discussing how true the various labels were, in terms of our own family. We thought it was most unfair, and untrue, for poor Middle Daughter to be labelled 'full of woe' (being a Wednesday child), but the others (Sunday and Tuesday) have nice, complimentary descriptions attached to them. I was happy to show off about being a Friday's child - loving and giving. Nice one. I've always thought that was obviously a fair and accurate description of my loving and giving self! (!)
When it came to my husband, we giggled pityingly about the fact that he didn't even know which day of the week he was born on. Well, granted we were both born a long time ago! - but my Mum had made a point of letting me know (so I thought) about being a Friday's child. So this morning I got on the internet and looked up the calendar for our year of birth - and giggled a bit more to see that he was actually a Monday's child - fair of face. Ha! Well, I suppose he'll like that!
And then I checked my own birthdate. I don't know why - after all, I knew it was a Friday, didn't I. And I nearly choked on my cup of tea. There it was, in black and white (well, in figures on the screen) - a WEDNESDAY. What??? Has someone been fiddling with the calendar? I was so shocked, I had to exit the page, go back into it and look again. But there's no getting away from it: my lovely mum either got muddled up with the day, or just told me it was a Friday to keep me happy! Fair enough, if I'd gone through life believing I was Full of Woe, I might have turned out differently! (I hope my lovely middle daughter doesn't believe in all this stuff!).
Of course, I don't really believe in it myself, either - but it just goes to show how easy it is to believe something about yourself, just because you've been told it for so long. As a postscript, I had a quick look at the calendar for my older brother's year of birth. I was wondering whether Mum could have got the two of us confused - maybe he was the Friday child! But no - he was born on a Thursday. And for once, this is completely appropriate. He emigrated to Australia at the age of 22 and has lived there ever since. Thursday's Child has far to go!
OK, I'm off to bury my Woeful head in shame. Loving and giving? Well, I did try!
Ahhhh.... What a shame... But it's true that we do tend to live up to our image of ourselves so perhaps your mum got it right!
ReplyDeleteI still think you're lovely, even if you are full of woe.
ReplyDeleteXX
Which just goes to show that it's all a load of rubbish. I too was born on a Wednesday and was the middle of three girls. I would say that I am the most upbeat of the three of us and my glass is always half full (there's an old joke there I know!). So don't believe a word of it and carry on just as you always have done.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pat - yes, maybe you're right! I hope so!
ReplyDeleteAh, thank you Suz! (I think you're lovely too!)
And Maggie - hello to another Wednesday girl! I know it's all rubbish - I'm only joking but it did kind-of serve me right for showing off about being loving and giving! (Yes, my glass is always half full too - or preferably completely full!).
Oh no Olivia, what have you done? And there was me thinking I could join your Wednesday's club because I've always thought or was told I was born on a Wednesday, but always believed in happiness. Now after checking out the calander for the year of my birth I was born on a Saturday... Now I know why I've always had to work hard for my living, but aleast I've always had a smile on my face most of the time. :-)
ReplyDeleteP.s And now I've decided to make it easier by becoming a writer.... Ha, who am I kidding... Sorry I can't join your Wednesday club Hope to see you at RNA winter party on Thursday
That's very funny, Jarmara! Seems like we were both told porky-pies about our birth days!
ReplyDeleteYes - see you later today at the party.