Several years ago, I called my friend who worked just down the hall, and I got her voice mail. (I don’t know why I didn’t walk down the hall to talk to her. Voice mail was new in our office. Maybe I wanted to use it.)

Anyway, Darlene’s voice mail said, “Hi, I’m away from my desk right now, so please feel free to leave a message. And, by the way, today is my birthday. I thought I’d just say that up front because if you leave me a message and don’t wish me a happy birthday, and then you find out later, you will feel bad. So, go ahead. Leave your message now.”

This was brilliant.

And, Darlene was way before her time. Now we have a handy option on social media to broadcast our birthdays. As long as we check in faithfully (ten or twelve times a day, perhaps) we will never again be guilty of ignoring the birthday of a friend, loved one, third-grade classmate, or former UPS delivery man.

I bring this up because my birthday is this week. I could walk around all falsely-modest and pretend I don’t care that this is my day for cake and balloons. Or I could try to seriously ignore the day and pretend I’m not one year closer to the elegant age of sixty.

But, I’m taking a lesson from my friend, Darlene. It’s my birthday this week. And I’m telling you in case you see me on the street and don’t say anything and then you feel badly afterwards. So, go ahead. Leave your message.