Doris Day’s Birthday
April 3rd will always be a special day for me. Ever since I was a young star-struck teenager in Indianapolis, I revered that day because it was Doris Day’s birthday. Even today I hold April 3rd almost as a ‘feast’ day (that’s my Catholic upbringing) because the exceptional star Americans love came into the world then in Cincinnati, Ohio. In a few days some avid fans 
will gather in Carmel, California, to join in the birthday festivities at Doris’s Cypress Inn Hotel.. For the past several years fans from all over the world have saved their hard earned money to enjoy a couple of days with others who love and revere Doris. Her publicity says she will be 94. It is possible she may be 95.
My friend Diane Thomas and I went a few years ago and stayed at her lovely Cypress Inn. Of course we were hoping to see Doris, but that was not meant to be. She was not making any personal appearance that year. We enjoyed a nice lunch and breakfast at Terry’s Lounge and saw several fans who gathered there. We both loved the beautiful hotel but the high point was seeing many well behaved four leggers (dogs of many types) who were also staying there: the Cypress is pet friendly. If you ever get a chance to go there, do just that. It’s a mini Doris Day museum with numerous photos of her lining the walls….a fan’s dream!
During the past couple of years the many fans who gathered were able to catch a glimpse of Doris from her balcony as they gazed up from the golf course below. Doris waved and spoke on a cell phone to the anxious fans…yes, she looked older, but you could still see her warm smile and page boy hair style now white but still so beautiful. Talk about ageless beauty – Doris is the epitome of beauty even in her mid-90s.
As I think back I count my many blessings associated with Doris, for instance, when I lived with her I was able to plan one or two surprise birthday parties for her…those are special memories for me and I cherish them and the photos.
This year, again, I just want to be one of the many people around the world who remember Doris on her special day. As we keep losing many of the greats like Debbie Reynolds, Mary Tyler Moore, Carrie Fisher, Florence Henderson, Chuck Berry, etc., we are still blessed to have DORIS DAY with us. God bless and keep her and “Thanks for the memories, Doris.”
Mary Anne Barothy is the author of Day at a Time: A Hoosier Girl’s Sentimental Journey to Doris Day’s Hollywood and Beyond. Click back to the website to order the book.