September 29, 2025 • 20 mins
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In this silly story, Juliet wakes up on her birthday feeling a little… older. Okay, a LOT older. One minute she’s a kid, the next she’s not! Can she undo her birthday blunder before she’s stuck sipping soup and knitting scarves forever?
Warning: this goofy story for kids may result in smiles, snorts, and possibly some LOLs. Listen at your own discretion.
To see if the shout-out list is open, visit: lolstorytime.com/shoutouts
Visit lolstorytime.com for merch and other... stuff.
In this silly story, Juliet wakes up on her birthday feeling a little… older. Okay, a LOT older. One minute she’s a kid, the next she’s not! Can she undo her birthday blunder before she’s stuck sipping soup and knitting scarves forever?
Warning: this goofy story for kids may result in smiles, snorts, and possibly some LOLs. Listen at your own discretion.
To see if the shout-out list is open, visit: lolstorytime.com/shoutouts
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
HELLOL story Time is really not a glory time. Rabbis,
stand and You'll be fine. Follow the whole storyline. Hellel
story Time Might You Love? Released one time well story.
Welcome back to another episode of LLOL Storytime. Today's story
is called Another Year Older. This one features a character
named after juliet and another character named after Nelson from Australia.
(00:26):
This week, I'm also shouting up the following listeners Keith
and Jaden from Arkansas, Olive and Juniper from Portland, Miller
and LS from Toronto, Isabella Hicks from Saint John's, Newfoundland
listening with her brother Asher Yeness and Alvaro from Madrid,
Jasper from Prince Edward Island, Max from Ralston, New Zealand
(00:48):
along with his cats Freya and Loki, eras Ahmet Rowe
and Jenev from Israel, and last but not least, Monica
and Jasper. More shouts to come next time. But for now,
let's get into the story. This is the story of
(01:11):
the time juliet turned another year older. Yep, it was
that special time of year again Juliette's birthday. As she
lay in bed the night before her birthday, she reflected
on her past birthdays. Last year, her parents made her
a special birthday breakfast like they always did. Oh no, Juliet,
we're late for work. Here, let's put some sprinkles on
your toast. Boom, birthday toast, gotta run. Her aunts and
(01:35):
uncles made the same comments they always did. Wow, Juliet,
another year older? Do you feel older? Because you look older?
Should we start checking you for gray hairs? Even her
teacher had tried to hide the fact that he had
forgotten her birthday. It's your birthday today? What really? Well,
of course it is. I knew that happy birthday, and
(01:56):
since I knew it was coming, I had plenty of
time to get you the special gift. Here you go.
Oh gee, the same red pen you were just using
to mark almost every question on my math tests wrong. Great,
Thank you for this thoughtful gift, teacher. I will cherish
it forever. Even her good friend Nelson had skipped school
that day, but at least the cake had been good.
(02:18):
Juliet remembered liking that part. Now, blow the candles and
make a wish, but don't tell anyone what you wish for,
or it won't come true. Like always, Juliette had just
rolled her eyes. Ugh, I'm gonna wish for people to
realize that after all these years, they don't have to
keep reminding me not to tell people what I'm wishing for.
Everyone knows that that's the number one rule of wish making.
(02:41):
So yeah. As she lay there in bed the night
before her birthday, she wondered, would this birthday really be
any different? In the morning, Juliette woke up before her
alarm clock. Strange that almost never happened. Normally, her alarm
clock would be ringing for twenty minutes before she even noticed.
Then she'd get into a fight with the alarm clock
and throw it against the wall to stop it from
(03:01):
making that awful noise. But perhaps she'd had a really
good sleep that night, or maybe she was just more
excited about her birthday than she thought she'd be. Well,
I suppose I could just get up a little early
today and not after rush to school, she told herself.
As she stood up, she could hear some popping and
cracking sounds. Oh, she groaned, My back, my hips, my knees.
(03:26):
Why do I feel so stiff and achy? This too,
was out of the ordinary for juliet She normally had
a hard time getting into bed because she was tired,
not because her body felt like cement. Juliette hobbled to
the washroom, where she then screamed after catching a look
in the mirror. Ah, there's an old lady in the bathroom.
There's an old lady in the bathroom. Juliette looked at
(03:47):
the reflection a little closer. Wait, I'm the old lady
in the bathroom. Noticing that her legs were suddenly feeling shaky,
she took a seat on the edge of the bathtub. Okay,
so it seems I haven't I've woken up early after all,
because I'm clearly still dreaming. She slowly made her way
to the kitchen. It seemed no one else was awake yet,
so she began making her own breakfast. She wasn't sure
(04:10):
if she even needed to eat during a dream, but
she did feel hungry. A short while later, her mother
walked into the kitchen in her bathroom while rubbing the
sleep from her eyes. Happy birthday, Grandma, she said. Then
it was as if her mother had shugged ten cups
of coffee in an instant. Wait, it's not Grandma's birthday,
it's Juliet's and you're not grandma. Ma'am. I think you've
(04:32):
got the wrong house. How did you get inside my kitchen?
Juliette giggled, Mom, it's not actually an old lady, it's
just me. It's all part of a dream I'm having,
so you don't have to worry. Juliette's mom looked worried.
All right, Juliette, is that really you? Juliette felt an
unpleasant pinch on her shoulder. Wow, Mom, what was that for?
(04:54):
I had to show you that you're not actually dreaming.
This is really happening. Look, you're already getting a brea.
He was where I pinched you because your skin has
gotten thinner. When Juliet's dad walked and he mistook Juliette
for his mother. Oh hey, Mom, didn't realize you were
visiting today. Do either of you know if juliet is
up yet? Can't have her being laid on her birthday.
He then almost did a double backflip when the old
(05:16):
lady at the table said good morning, dad. Her parents
sat down at the table, studying their daughter like she
was a life form from another planet. Juliette, we just
can't understand how this has happened. I mean, you are
another year older, but we weren't really expecting you to
look this old when you woke up today. Juliette had
no clue why this was happening either. Well, I do
(05:38):
have to get going to work pretty soon, but uh,
if you like, I could make you some birthday toasts
before I go. How does that sound, madam? Dad? Please
don't call me madam. And I was up early, so
I've already eaten some bran. Her parents looked at each other.
You ate bran like bran, bran like the kind of
brand grandparents eat because it's an excellent source of fiber,
(06:01):
that kind of brand. Juliette wasn't sure why she had
chosen to have brand for breakfast, but that's just what
she had felt like eating. Did you at least put
some sprinkles on it to turn it into birthday brand?
Even Juliette was surprised by what she said next. Oh,
I don't need any sprinkles, dad, I'd rather save that
for the kids. Yes, this was shaping up to be
(06:23):
the strangest birthday Juliette had ever had. Another year older,
more like another seventy five years older. It did however,
work out nicely that she'd woken up so early she
needed every last bit of extra time she had. She
tried getting ready for school as quickly as she could,
but everything seemed to be happening at a much slower pace.
On the way to school, someone even tried to help
(06:45):
her safely cross the street. Juliette didn't need help crossing
the street. She tried to show the person away, telling
him she could manage just fine. But then she realized
the person trying to help her was her good friend Nelson. Nelson,
what are you doing? I don't need help. Focus on
getting herself safely cross the street. Nelson hadn't yet figured
out who she was. Uh, ma'am, how do you know
(07:06):
my name? Are you friends with my grandparents? Juliette scowled,
Who are you calling, ma'am? It's just me, Juliette, You
silly rooster nugget. Nelson suddenly didn't look so good. It
was if he had seen a ghost. Now Juliette was
where she was going to have to help him cross
the street. Dude, listen, I haven't traveled here from the
future or anything. I just woke up this morning on
(07:27):
my birthday another year older, or as you can see,
a lot of years older. Nelson scratched his head, well, uh,
happy birthday. Then he then pinched his friend on her
other shoulder. How dude, what did you do that for,
asked Juliette, rubbing her soon to be second bruise of
the day. I was just trying to see if I
was dreaming, he answered, Well, if you wanted to know
(07:50):
if you were dreaming, then you should have just pinched yourself,
You silly Sleimberger. At school, people had a lot of questions,
most of which were brought to Nelson's attention since and
wanted to see him rude by asking Juliet, why does
your friend have white hair? Now? Why was your friend
running so slowly in Jim class? Why was your friend
(08:11):
knitting a scarf at recess time? The only questions people
were asking Juliet were for help with their schoolwork. Excuse me, madam,
since you already learned all of this a long long
time ago, could you please tell me the answer to
question number four? Juliette responded the same way every time,
like I told the last kid stop calling me madam.
(08:33):
But then she would instantly soften all right now, let's
take a look at that question, there shall we, sweetheart?
After school, both Juliette and Nelson looked relieved to get
out of there. Nelson had spent the entire afternoon thinking
about his friend's problem. While walking home, he said, Juliette,
I think I figured out what has happened to you.
Juliette thought it had been kind of obvious. Well, yeah,
(08:56):
have you seen me? I woke up much much older
than I was supposed to. Nelson shook his head. No,
I mean, like I know why you woke up much
much older. Juliette indicated that she wanted to hear more.
The only thing that makes sense is that you must
have botched your birthday wish, Like somehow you messed it up.
Instead of wishing to be older, you must have wished
(09:17):
to be old this time. Juliette pinched Nelson, bro I
did not wish to be an old lady. In fact,
I haven't even made my birthday wish yet. I'm saving
it from when I blow out the candles on my
birthday cake tonight. Nelson was pensive. Hmm, well, if you
haven't wished for anything today, then maybe this wish was
(09:37):
from your last birthday. No one remembers what they wished
for a year ago. You probably asked to have a
good reason and need lots of extra cushioning under your shoes.
It felt like Nelson was really reaching now, dude, believe
it or not, I actually do remember what I wished
for on my last birthday because it's the same thing
I wish for almost every year, and it was definitely
not to become a grandma by my next birthday. Wish
(10:00):
was to finally be old enough where people don't feel
the need to explain to me how to make a wish.
It's like I already know the number one rule of
making a birthday wish. Don't tell people what you wish for.
You can all stop telling me now. Juliette thought this
would put her friend's theory to rest, but now Nelson
was hopping around like he was on fire. That's it.
You did wish for this. You have finally reached the
(10:21):
age where people stopped telling you how to make a
birthday wish. That's literally how long it takes. My mom
still reminds my dad on his birthday not to tell
anyone what he wished for, and that dude, is no
spring chicken, let me tell you. Juliette suddenly wasn't feeling
very good, and this time she did allow for some
help crossing the street. Juliette, I know you're probably scared,
(10:41):
but I have good news. You may have accidentally wished
for this to happen, but that means you still have
this year's birthday wish to wish yourself back to being
a kid. Nelson was right. She may have done this
to herself without meaning to, but this was actually the
perfect day to fix this. All she had to do
was first make it through dinner with all of her
aunts and uncle aunts and uncles who looked like they
(11:02):
were about to short circuit upon seeing her that evening.
Happy birthday, juliet another year. Has it really only been
a year? Guess we don't have to check for any
gray hairs this time, do we? Huh? Well, now I've
got nothing. Guess we just eat The birthday dinner went
(11:22):
perfectly fine, but the only thing Juliette could think about
was the cake. After the dinner plates had been cleared
out came the dessert plates. Juliette clutched her pearls. The
time had finally come. Her mother fled to another room
to prepare the candles, and soon after everyone around the
table began singing the Happy Birthday sung in four different keys,
none of them the right one. Juliet remembered hearing the
(11:46):
beginning of the Happy Birthday sung and being glad she
wasn't wearing her hearing aids. But then the next thing
she knew, she was being woken up by Nelson poking
her with a spoon. Uh, what happened? Where am I?
What did I miss? Nelson started to explain, Well, it
was just about time for you to blow out the
candles and make a wish when you just kind of
(12:06):
fell asleep at the table. You were snoring and drooling
and everything. We had to blow out the candles for you.
Your uncle Bob made a wish, but then he told
everyone what the wish was, thus ruining the wish, and
just like that, her one and only birthday wish was gone.
So that's it. I'm stuck like this until next year.
(12:27):
Her parents tried to be supportive. It might not be
so bad, darling. You're welcome to bake pies for us
anytime you like. Juliette went to bed early that night,
not just because she felt super bummed out, but because
nowadays seven o'clock felt really late in the morning. She
put on some old lady clothes that she had received
as a birthday gift, and then sat around waiting three
(12:50):
hours for school to begin. She then soldier through another
day of being called madam, which she had finally stopped
bothering to correct. At least lunchtime had been good. She
had a thermos full of split pea soup. It was
also at lunchtime that Nelson came up with a brilliant idea.
All Right, so I know it's a really long time
until your next birthday, But what if I told you
(13:12):
you don't have to wait until your next birthday. All
you have to do is find someone willing to give
you their birthday wish. Just don't ask me, okay, because
my birthday is a long way away, Juliet raised an eyebrow.
Isn't your birthday in like three weeks a long way away?
Nelson repeated. But it wasn't just Nelson who didn't seem
(13:33):
willing to share his one special birthday wish. Everyone else,
Juliet asked, said no too. Sorry, Juliet I'd love to
help you, but I need to wish for my parents
to stop sending me to Trumpet lessons. When the weekend
rolled around, Nelson told Juliet to meet him at the
most popular family restaurant in town, Scorcheese Place. Upon arriving,
(13:55):
Juliet just had to ask, dude, why did you ask
me to meet you here? This is a family restaurant
and neither of us have brought our families. Nelson was
grinning because Scorchy's Place is the biggest family restaurant around.
Anyone who's been here on a Saturday knows this place
is always packed with at least seven different birthday parties
(14:16):
going down. This is the place you need to be.
Juliette had to think about where Nelson was heading with this.
Are you about to suggest I steal some random kids wish?
Nelson motioned for her to keep her voice down. Whoa
whoa wo wo wo wo. Not steal, just you know, borrow.
Some of these little kids are about to waste their
(14:37):
wish asking for a toy they probably already have, So
please ask yourself this, do you want to be young again?
Or don't you? Well twenty minutes later and Juliette was
popping up like a weasel next to a young birthday
boy sitting at a booth among family and friends. His
cheeks looked like those of a chipmunk as he prepared
to blow out his candles, but when he saw Juliette,
(14:58):
he instead blew all of the air her face. Ah
that's not my grandma, that's not my grandma, the boy shouted.
Can't relax. I'm not actually an old lady. I'm a
kid like you who really needs your birthday wish. Ah,
somebody's grandma was trying to steal my wish. Somebody's grandma
was trying to steal my wish. Juliette was about to
(15:20):
explain that it was more of a boro type situation,
but seeing the angry looks on everyone's faces forced her
to slink back down and slip out from under the table.
I don't know, Nelson, she said afterwards. This isn't gonna work.
No one is gonna want to give away their one
good wish to an old lady like me. But as
she said that, juliet realized there was actually one person
(15:41):
who might give away their wish. She hurried home, leaving Nelson,
behind to explain himself to a less than happy looking
restaurant owner. As she burst through the front door, she
was happy to find just the person she was looking for.
Oh hey, Dad, So you know how whenever I ask
you what you want for your birthday you always just
answer something like, oh, I don't need anything. I already
(16:02):
have everything I could ever want. How about a hug? Well,
you strike me as the kind of person who probably
just throws away his birthday wish too, so I was wondering,
could I have your next birthday wish? Juliette's dad was
totally on board. Last year, he had wasted his wish
asking for the dishwasher to unload itself, and that hadn't
even come true. But after Juliette explained why she wanted
(16:25):
his wish, he discovered a problem. Uh, juliet I don't
think this whole thing has happened to you because of
a wish you made. Juliette looked puzzled. What do you mean, Dad,
It's the only thing that makes sense. I'm finally at
the age where people don't feel the need to remind
me of the number one rule of making birthday wishes.
Juliette's dad gave her an empathetic smile, except you're forgetting
(16:49):
that you did break the number one rule of making
birthday wishes last year. You told me exactly what you
were going to wish for. I shouldn't have to remind
you that a birthday wish can't come true if you
say it out loud. Talk about wanting to crawl into
a cave and never come out. Her dad was right,
this hadn't happened because of her wish, So I guess
(17:09):
that's it. Then she said, with a long sigh, I
guess I'll just go watch an episode of Will of
Fortune and finish my suduco puzzle before bed. Hashtag old
lady lifestyle. Better get used to it. The weeks passed by,
and Juliette was not getting any younger, but she did
start to notice some perks that came with her new age,
(17:29):
things like seniors discounts, bird watching, and never being rushed.
One day, Juliette decided to visit her own grandmother. Who
better to spend time with than an experienced expert on
the topic of being an old lady. Oh, it's so
lovely to see you. Juliet I just love what you've
done with your hair and those clothes. How nice to
(17:51):
see you wearing something a little more cool and hip.
Juliette looked down at her old lady blouse. M Grandma,
I was wondering if you'd like to hang out. Since
you know I'm old year old, maybe we could do
some old people stuff together. Her grandma adjusted her glasses.
Oh that's right. Look at you. You are looking a
(18:13):
lot older than the last time I saw you. I
like it. But how do you feel, dear, Juliette shrugged. Well,
at first I absolutely hated it, but I'm getting a
little more used to it. There definitely are some advantages
of being old. Her grandmother smiled in agreement. Well that's lovely,
my dear. I'm so happy my wish came true. Then
(18:36):
Juliette had to check if her ears we're still working.
Excuse me, Grandma, what did you just say? I couldn't
tell you before because then the wish wouldn't have come true.
But I actually wish for this to happen. Juliette had
always known her grandmother to be such a sweet lady,
but now she was wondering if this woman worked for
the bad guys. Well, hi, Grandma, why would you wish
(18:59):
for this? Yes, Grandma took another bite of her biscuit. Well,
I wanted you to see that growing old is nothing
to be afraid of. Don't think I didn't notice the
look on your face anytime one of your aunts or
uncles teased you about being another year older. Growing old
is actually a beautiful thing, just one of many wonderful
parts of this journey we call life. Juliette slowly nodded
(19:23):
her head. You know you're right, Grandma, getting older isn't
something to be afraid of. And it is a beautiful thing,
isn't it. Who knew how enjoyable repeating the same old
stories over and over could actually be. But if it's
okay with you, I'd kind of prefer to grow old
at my own pace, you know, just one year at
a time. Grandma smiled once again. Oh, of course, dear,
(19:47):
I totally understand. Thanks, Grandma, So will you use your
next wish to make me young again? You do have
a birthday coming up soon. Grandma's warm smile never faltered. Sorry,
but I already promised your friend Nelson that he could
have my wish. He wants to wish for some toy
that I'm pretty sure he already owns, silly boy, and
(20:09):
doesn't he know that it won't come true since he's
already told me what he's wishing for. It's the number
one rule of making a birthday wish. The end. That's
the story, and as always, I hope you enjoyed it.
Question of the week, what are you going to wish
(20:29):
for on your next birthday? Kidding, don't tell me that. Instead,
let me know something you're looking forward to about growing older.
Well that's a wrap on this episode, so I'll catch
you on the next one.
HELLOL story Time is really not a glory time. Rabbis,
stand and You'll be fine. Follow the whole storyline. Hellel
story Time Might You Love? Released one time well story.
Welcome back to another episode of LLOL Storytime. Today's story
is called Another Year Older. This one features a character
named after juliet and another character named after Nelson from Australia.
(00:26):
This week, I'm also shouting up the following listeners Keith
and Jaden from Arkansas, Olive and Juniper from Portland, Miller
and LS from Toronto, Isabella Hicks from Saint John's, Newfoundland
listening with her brother Asher Yeness and Alvaro from Madrid,
Jasper from Prince Edward Island, Max from Ralston, New Zealand
(00:48):
along with his cats Freya and Loki, eras Ahmet Rowe
and Jenev from Israel, and last but not least, Monica
and Jasper. More shouts to come next time. But for now,
let's get into the story. This is the story of
(01:11):
the time juliet turned another year older. Yep, it was
that special time of year again Juliette's birthday. As she
lay in bed the night before her birthday, she reflected
on her past birthdays. Last year, her parents made her
a special birthday breakfast like they always did. Oh no, Juliet,
we're late for work. Here, let's put some sprinkles on
your toast. Boom, birthday toast, gotta run. Her aunts and
(01:35):
uncles made the same comments they always did. Wow, Juliet,
another year older? Do you feel older? Because you look older?
Should we start checking you for gray hairs? Even her
teacher had tried to hide the fact that he had
forgotten her birthday. It's your birthday today? What really? Well,
of course it is. I knew that happy birthday, and
(01:56):
since I knew it was coming, I had plenty of
time to get you the special gift. Here you go.
Oh gee, the same red pen you were just using
to mark almost every question on my math tests wrong. Great,
Thank you for this thoughtful gift, teacher. I will cherish
it forever. Even her good friend Nelson had skipped school
that day, but at least the cake had been good.
(02:18):
Juliet remembered liking that part. Now, blow the candles and
make a wish, but don't tell anyone what you wish for,
or it won't come true. Like always, Juliette had just
rolled her eyes. Ugh, I'm gonna wish for people to
realize that after all these years, they don't have to
keep reminding me not to tell people what I'm wishing for.
Everyone knows that that's the number one rule of wish making.
(02:41):
So yeah. As she lay there in bed the night
before her birthday, she wondered, would this birthday really be
any different? In the morning, Juliette woke up before her
alarm clock. Strange that almost never happened. Normally, her alarm
clock would be ringing for twenty minutes before she even noticed.
Then she'd get into a fight with the alarm clock
and throw it against the wall to stop it from
(03:01):
making that awful noise. But perhaps she'd had a really
good sleep that night, or maybe she was just more
excited about her birthday than she thought she'd be. Well,
I suppose I could just get up a little early
today and not after rush to school, she told herself.
As she stood up, she could hear some popping and
cracking sounds. Oh, she groaned, My back, my hips, my knees.
(03:26):
Why do I feel so stiff and achy? This too,
was out of the ordinary for juliet She normally had
a hard time getting into bed because she was tired,
not because her body felt like cement. Juliette hobbled to
the washroom, where she then screamed after catching a look
in the mirror. Ah, there's an old lady in the bathroom.
There's an old lady in the bathroom. Juliette looked at
(03:47):
the reflection a little closer. Wait, I'm the old lady
in the bathroom. Noticing that her legs were suddenly feeling shaky,
she took a seat on the edge of the bathtub. Okay,
so it seems I haven't I've woken up early after all,
because I'm clearly still dreaming. She slowly made her way
to the kitchen. It seemed no one else was awake yet,
so she began making her own breakfast. She wasn't sure
(04:10):
if she even needed to eat during a dream, but
she did feel hungry. A short while later, her mother
walked into the kitchen in her bathroom while rubbing the
sleep from her eyes. Happy birthday, Grandma, she said. Then
it was as if her mother had shugged ten cups
of coffee in an instant. Wait, it's not Grandma's birthday,
it's Juliet's and you're not grandma. Ma'am. I think you've
(04:32):
got the wrong house. How did you get inside my kitchen?
Juliette giggled, Mom, it's not actually an old lady, it's
just me. It's all part of a dream I'm having,
so you don't have to worry. Juliette's mom looked worried.
All right, Juliette, is that really you? Juliette felt an
unpleasant pinch on her shoulder. Wow, Mom, what was that for?
(04:54):
I had to show you that you're not actually dreaming.
This is really happening. Look, you're already getting a brea.
He was where I pinched you because your skin has
gotten thinner. When Juliet's dad walked and he mistook Juliette
for his mother. Oh hey, Mom, didn't realize you were
visiting today. Do either of you know if juliet is
up yet? Can't have her being laid on her birthday.
He then almost did a double backflip when the old
(05:16):
lady at the table said good morning, dad. Her parents
sat down at the table, studying their daughter like she
was a life form from another planet. Juliette, we just
can't understand how this has happened. I mean, you are
another year older, but we weren't really expecting you to
look this old when you woke up today. Juliette had
no clue why this was happening either. Well, I do
(05:38):
have to get going to work pretty soon, but uh,
if you like, I could make you some birthday toasts
before I go. How does that sound, madam? Dad? Please
don't call me madam. And I was up early, so
I've already eaten some bran. Her parents looked at each other.
You ate bran like bran, bran like the kind of
brand grandparents eat because it's an excellent source of fiber,
(06:01):
that kind of brand. Juliette wasn't sure why she had
chosen to have brand for breakfast, but that's just what
she had felt like eating. Did you at least put
some sprinkles on it to turn it into birthday brand?
Even Juliette was surprised by what she said next. Oh,
I don't need any sprinkles, dad, I'd rather save that
for the kids. Yes, this was shaping up to be
(06:23):
the strangest birthday Juliette had ever had. Another year older,
more like another seventy five years older. It did however,
work out nicely that she'd woken up so early she
needed every last bit of extra time she had. She
tried getting ready for school as quickly as she could,
but everything seemed to be happening at a much slower pace.
On the way to school, someone even tried to help
(06:45):
her safely cross the street. Juliette didn't need help crossing
the street. She tried to show the person away, telling
him she could manage just fine. But then she realized
the person trying to help her was her good friend Nelson. Nelson,
what are you doing? I don't need help. Focus on
getting herself safely cross the street. Nelson hadn't yet figured
out who she was. Uh, ma'am, how do you know
(07:06):
my name? Are you friends with my grandparents? Juliette scowled,
Who are you calling, ma'am? It's just me, Juliette, You
silly rooster nugget. Nelson suddenly didn't look so good. It
was if he had seen a ghost. Now Juliette was
where she was going to have to help him cross
the street. Dude, listen, I haven't traveled here from the
future or anything. I just woke up this morning on
(07:27):
my birthday another year older, or as you can see,
a lot of years older. Nelson scratched his head, well, uh,
happy birthday. Then he then pinched his friend on her
other shoulder. How dude, what did you do that for,
asked Juliette, rubbing her soon to be second bruise of
the day. I was just trying to see if I
was dreaming, he answered, Well, if you wanted to know
(07:50):
if you were dreaming, then you should have just pinched yourself,
You silly Sleimberger. At school, people had a lot of questions,
most of which were brought to Nelson's attention since and
wanted to see him rude by asking Juliet, why does
your friend have white hair? Now? Why was your friend
running so slowly in Jim class? Why was your friend
(08:11):
knitting a scarf at recess time? The only questions people
were asking Juliet were for help with their schoolwork. Excuse me, madam,
since you already learned all of this a long long
time ago, could you please tell me the answer to
question number four? Juliette responded the same way every time,
like I told the last kid stop calling me madam.
(08:33):
But then she would instantly soften all right now, let's
take a look at that question, there shall we, sweetheart?
After school, both Juliette and Nelson looked relieved to get
out of there. Nelson had spent the entire afternoon thinking
about his friend's problem. While walking home, he said, Juliette,
I think I figured out what has happened to you.
Juliette thought it had been kind of obvious. Well, yeah,
(08:56):
have you seen me? I woke up much much older
than I was supposed to. Nelson shook his head. No,
I mean, like I know why you woke up much
much older. Juliette indicated that she wanted to hear more.
The only thing that makes sense is that you must
have botched your birthday wish, Like somehow you messed it up.
Instead of wishing to be older, you must have wished
(09:17):
to be old this time. Juliette pinched Nelson, bro I
did not wish to be an old lady. In fact,
I haven't even made my birthday wish yet. I'm saving
it from when I blow out the candles on my
birthday cake tonight. Nelson was pensive. Hmm, well, if you
haven't wished for anything today, then maybe this wish was
(09:37):
from your last birthday. No one remembers what they wished
for a year ago. You probably asked to have a
good reason and need lots of extra cushioning under your shoes.
It felt like Nelson was really reaching now, dude, believe
it or not, I actually do remember what I wished
for on my last birthday because it's the same thing
I wish for almost every year, and it was definitely
not to become a grandma by my next birthday. Wish
(10:00):
was to finally be old enough where people don't feel
the need to explain to me how to make a wish.
It's like I already know the number one rule of
making a birthday wish. Don't tell people what you wish for.
You can all stop telling me now. Juliette thought this
would put her friend's theory to rest, but now Nelson
was hopping around like he was on fire. That's it.
You did wish for this. You have finally reached the
(10:21):
age where people stopped telling you how to make a
birthday wish. That's literally how long it takes. My mom
still reminds my dad on his birthday not to tell
anyone what he wished for, and that dude, is no
spring chicken, let me tell you. Juliette suddenly wasn't feeling
very good, and this time she did allow for some
help crossing the street. Juliette, I know you're probably scared,
(10:41):
but I have good news. You may have accidentally wished
for this to happen, but that means you still have
this year's birthday wish to wish yourself back to being
a kid. Nelson was right. She may have done this
to herself without meaning to, but this was actually the
perfect day to fix this. All she had to do
was first make it through dinner with all of her
aunts and uncle aunts and uncles who looked like they
(11:02):
were about to short circuit upon seeing her that evening.
Happy birthday, juliet another year. Has it really only been
a year? Guess we don't have to check for any
gray hairs this time, do we? Huh? Well, now I've
got nothing. Guess we just eat The birthday dinner went
(11:22):
perfectly fine, but the only thing Juliette could think about
was the cake. After the dinner plates had been cleared
out came the dessert plates. Juliette clutched her pearls. The
time had finally come. Her mother fled to another room
to prepare the candles, and soon after everyone around the
table began singing the Happy Birthday sung in four different keys,
none of them the right one. Juliet remembered hearing the
(11:46):
beginning of the Happy Birthday sung and being glad she
wasn't wearing her hearing aids. But then the next thing
she knew, she was being woken up by Nelson poking
her with a spoon. Uh, what happened? Where am I?
What did I miss? Nelson started to explain, Well, it
was just about time for you to blow out the
candles and make a wish when you just kind of
(12:06):
fell asleep at the table. You were snoring and drooling
and everything. We had to blow out the candles for you.
Your uncle Bob made a wish, but then he told
everyone what the wish was, thus ruining the wish, and
just like that, her one and only birthday wish was gone.
So that's it. I'm stuck like this until next year.
(12:27):
Her parents tried to be supportive. It might not be
so bad, darling. You're welcome to bake pies for us
anytime you like. Juliette went to bed early that night,
not just because she felt super bummed out, but because
nowadays seven o'clock felt really late in the morning. She
put on some old lady clothes that she had received
as a birthday gift, and then sat around waiting three
(12:50):
hours for school to begin. She then soldier through another
day of being called madam, which she had finally stopped
bothering to correct. At least lunchtime had been good. She
had a thermos full of split pea soup. It was
also at lunchtime that Nelson came up with a brilliant idea.
All Right, so I know it's a really long time
until your next birthday, But what if I told you
(13:12):
you don't have to wait until your next birthday. All
you have to do is find someone willing to give
you their birthday wish. Just don't ask me, okay, because
my birthday is a long way away, Juliet raised an eyebrow.
Isn't your birthday in like three weeks a long way away?
Nelson repeated. But it wasn't just Nelson who didn't seem
(13:33):
willing to share his one special birthday wish. Everyone else,
Juliet asked, said no too. Sorry, Juliet I'd love to
help you, but I need to wish for my parents
to stop sending me to Trumpet lessons. When the weekend
rolled around, Nelson told Juliet to meet him at the
most popular family restaurant in town, Scorcheese Place. Upon arriving,
(13:55):
Juliet just had to ask, dude, why did you ask
me to meet you here? This is a family restaurant
and neither of us have brought our families. Nelson was
grinning because Scorchy's Place is the biggest family restaurant around.
Anyone who's been here on a Saturday knows this place
is always packed with at least seven different birthday parties
(14:16):
going down. This is the place you need to be.
Juliette had to think about where Nelson was heading with this.
Are you about to suggest I steal some random kids wish?
Nelson motioned for her to keep her voice down. Whoa
whoa wo wo wo wo. Not steal, just you know, borrow.
Some of these little kids are about to waste their
(14:37):
wish asking for a toy they probably already have, So
please ask yourself this, do you want to be young again?
Or don't you? Well twenty minutes later and Juliette was
popping up like a weasel next to a young birthday
boy sitting at a booth among family and friends. His
cheeks looked like those of a chipmunk as he prepared
to blow out his candles, but when he saw Juliette,
(14:58):
he instead blew all of the air her face. Ah
that's not my grandma, that's not my grandma, the boy shouted.
Can't relax. I'm not actually an old lady. I'm a
kid like you who really needs your birthday wish. Ah,
somebody's grandma was trying to steal my wish. Somebody's grandma
was trying to steal my wish. Juliette was about to
(15:20):
explain that it was more of a boro type situation,
but seeing the angry looks on everyone's faces forced her
to slink back down and slip out from under the table.
I don't know, Nelson, she said afterwards. This isn't gonna work.
No one is gonna want to give away their one
good wish to an old lady like me. But as
she said that, juliet realized there was actually one person
(15:41):
who might give away their wish. She hurried home, leaving Nelson,
behind to explain himself to a less than happy looking
restaurant owner. As she burst through the front door, she
was happy to find just the person she was looking for.
Oh hey, Dad, So you know how whenever I ask
you what you want for your birthday you always just
answer something like, oh, I don't need anything. I already
(16:02):
have everything I could ever want. How about a hug? Well,
you strike me as the kind of person who probably
just throws away his birthday wish too, so I was wondering,
could I have your next birthday wish? Juliette's dad was
totally on board. Last year, he had wasted his wish
asking for the dishwasher to unload itself, and that hadn't
even come true. But after Juliette explained why she wanted
(16:25):
his wish, he discovered a problem. Uh, juliet I don't
think this whole thing has happened to you because of
a wish you made. Juliette looked puzzled. What do you mean, Dad,
It's the only thing that makes sense. I'm finally at
the age where people don't feel the need to remind
me of the number one rule of making birthday wishes.
Juliette's dad gave her an empathetic smile, except you're forgetting
(16:49):
that you did break the number one rule of making
birthday wishes last year. You told me exactly what you
were going to wish for. I shouldn't have to remind
you that a birthday wish can't come true if you
say it out loud. Talk about wanting to crawl into
a cave and never come out. Her dad was right,
this hadn't happened because of her wish, So I guess
(17:09):
that's it. Then she said, with a long sigh, I
guess I'll just go watch an episode of Will of
Fortune and finish my suduco puzzle before bed. Hashtag old
lady lifestyle. Better get used to it. The weeks passed by,
and Juliette was not getting any younger, but she did
start to notice some perks that came with her new age,
(17:29):
things like seniors discounts, bird watching, and never being rushed.
One day, Juliette decided to visit her own grandmother. Who
better to spend time with than an experienced expert on
the topic of being an old lady. Oh, it's so
lovely to see you. Juliet I just love what you've
done with your hair and those clothes. How nice to
(17:51):
see you wearing something a little more cool and hip.
Juliette looked down at her old lady blouse. M Grandma,
I was wondering if you'd like to hang out. Since
you know I'm old year old, maybe we could do
some old people stuff together. Her grandma adjusted her glasses.
Oh that's right. Look at you. You are looking a
(18:13):
lot older than the last time I saw you. I
like it. But how do you feel, dear, Juliette shrugged. Well,
at first I absolutely hated it, but I'm getting a
little more used to it. There definitely are some advantages
of being old. Her grandmother smiled in agreement. Well that's lovely,
my dear. I'm so happy my wish came true. Then
(18:36):
Juliette had to check if her ears we're still working.
Excuse me, Grandma, what did you just say? I couldn't
tell you before because then the wish wouldn't have come true.
But I actually wish for this to happen. Juliette had
always known her grandmother to be such a sweet lady,
but now she was wondering if this woman worked for
the bad guys. Well, hi, Grandma, why would you wish
(18:59):
for this? Yes, Grandma took another bite of her biscuit. Well,
I wanted you to see that growing old is nothing
to be afraid of. Don't think I didn't notice the
look on your face anytime one of your aunts or
uncles teased you about being another year older. Growing old
is actually a beautiful thing, just one of many wonderful
parts of this journey we call life. Juliette slowly nodded
(19:23):
her head. You know you're right, Grandma, getting older isn't
something to be afraid of. And it is a beautiful thing,
isn't it. Who knew how enjoyable repeating the same old
stories over and over could actually be. But if it's
okay with you, I'd kind of prefer to grow old
at my own pace, you know, just one year at
a time. Grandma smiled once again. Oh, of course, dear,
(19:47):
I totally understand. Thanks, Grandma, So will you use your
next wish to make me young again? You do have
a birthday coming up soon. Grandma's warm smile never faltered. Sorry,
but I already promised your friend Nelson that he could
have my wish. He wants to wish for some toy
that I'm pretty sure he already owns, silly boy, and
(20:09):
doesn't he know that it won't come true since he's
already told me what he's wishing for. It's the number
one rule of making a birthday wish. The end. That's
the story, and as always, I hope you enjoyed it.
Question of the week, what are you going to wish
(20:29):
for on your next birthday? Kidding, don't tell me that. Instead,
let me know something you're looking forward to about growing older.
Well that's a wrap on this episode, so I'll catch
you on the next one.
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