Reflections.....

My birthday is today......it's not a new experience as I've had 62 of them.....some more special than others. But as I reflect on being allowed to have this many....and yep.....that's TON of them.....I have to wonder about my original birthday....in Waco, Tx to parents who were older than most of the parents of that day. My mom was 41 when I was born and my dad was 43. Back in the caveman days that was considered advanced for having babies. I did have an older brother who was born 2 years before me, but by the time he was born, my parents had been married 16 years and were, I suppose, quite surprised by his ....well....conception. We were definitely the lights of their eyes and I can't remember one bad thing about my childhood with the exception of my dad's death when I was 9. By that time my mom was 50, but took the reins of being both mom and dad in her very capable stride. She always said we kept her young and it was true. She was in attendance for every event of our lives until her death in 1996. You'll have to again remember that in 1960, the year my dad died, 50 years of age seemed somewhat older than it does now. When we were little, our Nanny baked us our birthday cakes...and always wrapped coins in wax foil and hid them in the batter. What a treat it was to get a piece of cake with a nickle or a quarter buried in it. The cakes were Angel Food and wonderful. I would like to think I will do this for my grandkids if and when I have any. Of course all birthdays are special and the stand outs for any person are 18 and 21. But truly the most amazing birthday I had was when I turned 50. I LOVED it. My very favorite of all of them. Not because of a party or a gift....but because I thought it gave me the right to be as eccentric as I wanted to be. To me I had past a milestone of a social mold. And I took full advantage of it. When I turned 60, I must admit, I was somewhat depressed. After all.....Medicare was staring me right in the eye. But as I passed that point, a strange thing happened. It doesn't seem to matter anymore. Years are just that.....years. And everyone more blessed than the ones before. More days with my family and friends, more breaths to take, more books to read, more words to write, more ideas to form, more thoughts and concepts to ponder, more laughs to have and truly more understanding of what we all call life. So I take this opportunity to say to you the following. Take each day in the spirit in which it is given to you...because every day is truly given to you...they are not earned. Relish them. Squeeze them. Hug them. Love them. Don't count the sighs; count the laughs. Don't dwell on the past; gaze with hope and trust at the future. And above all else and I do mean all else.....thank God that you have been allowed to be. Simply Be.