Who Knows For Sure?

Today is my birthday! No, wait that's tomorrow. My birth certificate says August 6 but my mother said August 7. Confused? Welcome to my world! LOL

I didn't get a copy of my birth certificate until I was almost 19 years old. I was born in a small mining town in the Colorado mountains. My parents, grandparents and great grandparents all lived there at some point in their lives, several were born there too. So everyone knew who we were..............and my mother managed to get me admitted to school with my baptism certificate. (we are talking early 50's here). Now why no one bothered to order my birth certificate, I will never know but it is just one of several odd things about my childhood.

One day when I was about 18, out of high school and had a good job, my mother told me that she had called and ordered my birth certificate and I should stop on my way home from work and pick it up. Oh and by the way, I would need to pay for it too. She had decided that beings I was almost 19, I might need it soon. I think she was becoming aware that DH and I were making marriage noises and there was no way I could get a marriage liscence with my baptism certificate.

The registar in our town was the history teacher from the high school. She had handled the county records for years. Needless to say, not someone I was looking forward to seeing but...........I went to her house, got and paid for the certificate and answered her questions about what I planned to make of myself. I left muttering under my breath about parents who wait until a kid might get married to get their birth certificate and then make them pick it up and PAY for it. Then I opened it up and looked at it.

It says I was born on August 6, but for 18 years I had celebrated my birthday on the 7th. When I got home, I asked my mother if she was sure I was born on the 7th? She told me that yes, she was! A mother remembers these things!! (and after three of my own I had to add that to the list of things that my mother was right about....sigh) Mom checked with the history teacher/registar, who checked with the State of Colorado and yes, the offical date of birth was August 6.

So, I checked with my lawyer boss, who said not to worry about it beings it was the day that was wrong. It would only need to be changed if it was the year. But he said to always be sure to use the legal date on any paper work I might fill out in the future. (something that drives my DH crazy because he can never remember which one is the legal one.) Someone in my family is always asking which one is which?

Apparently, the dr was the one who did the registration of births and when he did them, there was a long list and some where along the line a error occured. So, legally I am one year older today...........but I am holding on to one year less for one more day. Why? BECAUSE MY MOTHER SAID SO!!!