Letters

Wishes for those celebrating birthdays during COVID-19:

— May you have a delicious birthday cake and ice cream (but don’t eat too much, because of the “COVID weight gain syndrome” due to inactivity).

— May your birthday be peaceful (though not too peaceful, because it is very easy to feel understimulated nowadays, and that is not good for your brain).

— May you be surrounded by friends and family (do you have a thermometer or oximeter so you can take temp and oxygen saturation levels before you go near anyone?).

— May you do something fun on your birthday. (But be careful, it’s dangerous out there because of the virus. Actually, where would you go anyway?)

— May you get lots of nice gifts. (But not too many, because you really don’t need anything. … As a matter of fact, most of the stuff you have you could get rid of anyway, because you will never need/wear it again.)

— May you get beautiful balloons (no, no, no — no balloons — they are very bad for the environment and do not biodegrade).

Perhaps you should put one candle in some hummus and stay home — that’s best, I think.

Paula Angelone

Southampton Village