Divine, thanks for your concern. Believe it or not, I actually am one who avoids conflicts if I can help it. If I have to engage in a conflict with someone, it's because they forced my hand. And I will always stand up for myself. The not wishing me a happy birthday is, I believe, a symptom of the larger problem that is their mother. She has proven many times over the years to be a bully, oftentimes using the silent treatment as one of her weapons. I understand people forget others birthdays. My point was that I was not so sure they "forgot" in this instance. I feel they were "told" not to acknowledge me since they have always been very good at remembering me and others birthdays for that matter over the years. So my decision as to whether or not to cease communication was based more on that.