Didn't 4get ur bday!(The Ethicist) (Column) (Brief article)

• Author: Galanes, Philip

My good friend and I always celebrate each other's birthday with lunch and a nice gift. For her birthday this year, I set up the lunch in advance and bought her a good present like I normally do. But on mine, I didn't hear from her until the afternoon of the actual day. All she sent was a "happy birthday" text, asking if we could get lunch the next week. She clearly forgot. Am I wrong to be so hurt?

--Anonymous

SOME PEOPLE are simply better at remembering dates and scheduling things than others. You may be one of them, but I can never remember whether my dad's birthday is January 20 and my brother's is January 23 or vice versa. (And I love them both.) If this is the...