Why 17?

For some reason that I can't explain, 17 is a special number in our family.

Yes, it's my birthday (February 17) but your mom's birthday is also a 17 (Nov. 17), as was your great-great grandfather Albert Graham's and your great uncle Wayne Cooper's.

Pepere and I also got married on Feb. 17, 2023 and we chose that date so Pepere wouldn't have to remember my birthday and our anniversary, as it's tricky to remember Valentine's Day, my birthday and an anniversary. It was easier to remember two occasions on the same day. When we got married, I couldn't recall exactly how many years we'd been together, but when I looked it up, I realized we got married on a 17th day and we'd known each other 17 years then.

Your mom was born on the 17th, so was our filly Folly, and so was your Nana.

Your mom wasn't supposed to be born on Nov. 17. She wasn't supposed to arrive until Nov. 22 but for some reason, she decided the 17th was also a good day for her to have a birthday.

Your great-great grandfather Albert, born on June 17, lived on the Ninth Line in Lakefield, Ontario just two houses down from where I grew up and where your mom's Nana and Grandpa lived. He had 5 acres and it was like a little farm. When his wife, my Nana Dorothy was alive, she kept chickens and I'd help her collect eggs. She also had a big garden with things like strawberries and vegetables. Later, we kept our horses in a field at their place.

Your great uncle Wayne, born on Jan. 17 was a special guy. He was born in Texas and met your great aunt Cheryl in Hawaii. They travelled a lot before they settled back in Texas. He was a heart doctor, and a very good one. He and Aunt Cheryl had a farm and I took your mom there for Thanksgiving once. We had a great time riding Uncle Wayne's horses, picking pecans and making pie with Aunt Cheryl, and your mom played board games with her second cousins there.

Another special family member that isn't a human was born on the 17th. That was Folly, the foal that your mom's mare Chloe had on July 17. It was very exciting for us to have a baby horse. Folly was beautiful and we had her until she was 12 and went to the United States to be a show horse. Her show name is Fool for Love, and that was a special name your mom and I chose. We used to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show together every week and one of our favourite characters was Spike. One of the best episodes about Spike was called Fool for Love and we decided it would be a good name for a horse. Folly wasn't supposed to be born on July 17. She was actually supposed to be born around June 27. But somehow, for maybe the mysterious reasons I don't understand, she also knew that the 17th was a good day to be born in our family.