Belated

Around a week before my recent birthday, a few of my friends wrote their greetings on my Facebook wall - some obviously thought that they had missed the date.

Seeing this slightly funny happening, a little friend of mine asked me to write a few words in my blog to explain this "early and belated birthday wish phenomenon".

How could I? Notably, the five people who did so are remarkably diverse: a professor of chemical pathology (who apparently started the whole thing), my best friend since secondary school, the Hong Kong record keeper of highest score in MRCP clinical examination, and the two most intelligent persons whom I personally know.

Of course, I shall not be too meticulous in this kind of thing. Greetings, be them early or late, always mean care and concern.

However, it was TS who caught my attention. (Alas, we were recently friends again - thanks to the Facebook.) He was the only one who specifically mentioned "belated" when he was obviously not. And, knowing him for some 30 years, he is an exceptionally careful and sensitive person. He should not have mistaken such a detail.

In that case, I have to take it as a deliberate choice of wording: The greeting was late not for a few days, but we should be saying happy birthday and making friends with each other three decades earlier.

Thanks every much to TS and all of my friends.

It is never too late.