Leap Years Apart: brothers bonded by blood and birthday

Maggy Wolanske
·3 min read

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — In the land of Leap Day births, they’re affectionally called “leapers” or “leaplings.” While some seize the day with special sales or deals, for a select few, it’s a rare birthday occurrence. Here in southern Colorado, there’s a unique family with not one, but two Leap Day babies.

“To this day, we joke around that I owe him a birthday party because we interrupted his 12th birthday,” Timothy James said. “So, we kid every year that I still owe him a birthday party, so that’s kind of fun.”

At the time, Stephen James wanted a bike for his 12th birthday, instead, his gift was a baby brother and the lesson of sharing the same birthday, which only falls once every four years.

“I didn’t think about the birthday itself,” Stephen James said. “I was thinking about it, he interrupted my party, and I didn’t get the gift.”

The two still have proof of this incredible anomaly, with a photo and newspaper clipping from February 29th, 1964.

“It’s my brother Steve, my mom, and myself in her arms as the day I was born,” Timothy shared. “We interrupted his birthday party, so I don’t know, he didn’t look too happy there.”

When Timothy was born, the moment was captured in the local newspaper, with his brother Stephen in the left-hand corner, and his mother holding him.
When Timothy was born, the moment was captured in the local newspaper, with his brother, Stephen, in the left-hand corner, and his mother holding him.

Timothy’s birth took his other siblings by surprise. Kathleen James, the only girl among the six James children, laughed as she reminisced about first laying eyes on her baby brother decades ago.

“Tim was born in the hospital in Trinidad… back then they used to allow us to go up to the nursery and look through the window,” Kathleen James said. “I remember Randy and I looking at Tim and he was premature, he was real wrinkled. We thought, ‘Oh, we don’t like him, he was not what we expected.'”

This photograph captures a moment from a previous birthday of Timothy and Stephen celebrating together.
This photograph captures a moment from a previous birthday with Timothy and Stephen celebrating together.

Out in front of the Longhorn Steakhouse, the two brothers proudly wore matching shirts, which Timothy makes once every four years, showing to everyone just how young these leapers are turning.

“I guess we appreciate it more,” Timothy said. “I didn’t really think about it because it was always either the 28th or the 1st, or both, but now that we’re older, it’s kind of like you appreciate it and it’s kind of funner.”

The duo has a special way to share their ages. Stephen proudly said, “72 normal years, 18 leap years.”

“Like he told me the other day, I’m not even old enough to get a learner’s permit yet, so and I’m not old enough to drink,” said Stephen.

Decades later, the two brothers still cherish the rarity of their shared birthday, making it a point to celebrate together. In the James family, all six children still live in their home state of Colorado, coming together monthly for joyous celebrations and as a time to catch up.

“I could call any of them, you know, and just ask them anything about either life or work or should I take a job I applied for and they all gave me great advice,” said Timothy James.

A photo of Timothy's birth, captured by the local newspaper, remains a cherished clipping that the brothers still hold on to.
A photo of Timothy’s birth, captured by the local newspaper, remains a cherished clipping that the brothers still hold on to.

Whether it’s every year or once every four years, these two celebrate another trip around the sun with the best gift of all: each other.

“I have good co-workers, a lot of friends, you know this is kind of what we do,” Timothy James said. “I feel blessed in a way because we’re still somewhat healthy as we get older, but we have a lot of friends and family to share with.”

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