Good things come to those who wait. Whether that’s true or not, Monday marks a day people only get to see every four years.

Every four years there is an extra day added to the end of February to keep the calendar year in sync with the solar year—the amount of time the Earth travels around around the sun. This day, Leap Day, is Monday, Feb. 29 … today.

Some find the day controversial and unnecessary, but for others, it is a day to celebrate.

For six students in the Vicksburg Warren Central School District, Monday is their chance to actually celebrate their birthday — on their birthday.

Katie Keen’s daughter has a New Year’s Day birthday, and her son Taylor has a Leap Year birthday. She said Taylor would celebrate on his actual birthday this year, which she likes to do every four years.

“It just makes the birthday more special,” Keen said.

Taylor is turning 12 on his “third” birthday and is a sixth grader at Beechwood Elementary. He is looking forward to getting to celebrate on the actual birthday date.

“It just feels a lot better,” Taylor said.

Bovina Elementary secondgrader Brayden Baker will turn 8 on his “second birthday.” He said he usually celebrates on Feb. 28, and this year he is having a big party.

“We’re going to have a sleepover,” Baker said. “Then after the sleepover we’re going to go to High Heaven — it’s a trampoline park.”

Fortunately none of these people have ever had any trouble dealing with the once every four years birthday. When it comes to age requirements to sign up for activities, Brayden’s mom, Ashley, said she doesn’t have issues.

“Now with computers you can just sign up online so it actually has the calendar year that he was born so it will actually show up,” Ashley Baker said.

When it comes to rites of passage like earning a driver’s license, Leap Year birthdays should not cause any trouble. A 13-year employee at the local Department of Motor Vehicles said she has never seen anyone have an issue getting a license because of a Leap Year birthday. Of course, when Leap Year babies turn 16, it will be on a Leap Year.

Vicksburg High School student Gage Wilkinson will turn 16, or 4, Monday. He won’t get his license for another couple of months because it is required to have a permit for a year before getting a license. His mom Courtney Wilkinson said he likes to do his own thing for his birthday now that he is older, but she does have some plans for the birthday cake.

“I think I’m going to put four (candles) on it just to be funny,” Courtney said.

He planned to have a bonfire with his friends for his birthday this year. She said on non-Leap Years he gets to choose when his birthday is celebrated.

“It’s kind of different,” Gage Wilkinson said.

As with driver’s licenses, some might think there will be issues in ordering alcohol or registering to vote. At KJ’s River Town Grille, Kay Daniel said she has never had trouble when it comes to serving alcohol.

“We just tell them they have to wait until March 1, and they understand,” Daniel said.

Considering most years March 1 is the day after Feb. 28, it’s not really a wait at all for the coming of age birthday.

Joe Wayne Harris said he has never had an issue with his birthday prohibiting him from anything. Born in 1940, Harris is turning 19 Monday.

“I’ve got grandchildren as old as I am,” Harris said. “I have one granddaughter who had a birthday (Wednesday) and she was 17. She’s trying to catch up with me.”

He’ll turn 20 and she’ll turn 21 in 2020.

“That ain’t right,” Harris said.