Birthdays traditionally are all about you! About getting gifts, about remembering the past, about eating cake, being treated like a special person, about doing what you want to do! And while I did a bit of this today (yeah, I know I did a bit of this for the last 2 months) I really want to mention the fact that it really should be a day of counting your blessings.
It struck me in the afternoon when I finally got back home from my lunch/massage/eye appt. that I am indeed pretty lucky. Of course the MA tells me this all the time- and of course he is referring to himself, the comedian that he is- but I mean it in a much more holistic way I suppose. I checked facebook and I was blown away by the number of people that wished me a happy birthday, there. It ended up being well over 100, which is an astonishing thing!! It could mean that I have been yakking on and on about birthday month for so long that people are thinking: thank God that's over, it could mean that facebook reminder is really an effective Happy Birthday giving tool, but I really think that I am so lucky I know such a fantastic group of people!
Besides that, I received text messages, tweets, instant messages and even a few emails, not to mention the actual people and phone calls and even a drive by stop and hug while I was walking!! THAT is when I really stopped to smell the proverbial roses. I had my sister and niece with me in the morning, which was the culmination of a spectacular few days with them, lunch with the hubs, a fantastic massage, visited the farmers market, where I ran into one of my best and dearest friends who I haven't seen all summer, saw another bestie at the library, got unexpected hugs and even kisses,and just generally communicated with a lot of people! During the remainder of my walk, I was thinking about all of you! I have wonderful, supportive people in my life- people from all different places. And I am in awe at the differences in their origins, personalities, strengths, and lives. I have quiet friends, raucous and rowdy friends, photographer friends, fitness friends, former students, fellow loseit users, local town people, family members, fellow artists- people who are shy, noisy, fearless, happy, depressed, going through major life changes- including a major illness, enjoying an equilibrium, brilliant, artsy, and/or extremely logical and "businessy". And I haven't even touched on my family members..... who need their own post, really. ALL of you have made my life better in so many ways and I can't seem to find a good way to tell you how lucky I really am to have you in my life.
I know this is a bit sappy, but I don't care. You should definitely know that about me by now. I had a day that was full of joy and love and friendship and even a little tiny bit of sad. Which to me pointed out how really unimportant that cake and a bunch of gifts and even parties and things like that really are. Because I know that I could seek out and find, or talk to all 100 plus of you who wished me that Happy Birthday yesterday. And that communication, that connection is incredibly amazing.
And it gives me so much joy!! And I hope I return even a small amount of joy to you as well.
From my heart to yours- Enjoy that birthday month when it comes, everyone, use that time to count your blessings and enjoy your friends and family. Whether it is 100 or whether it is 10 makes no difference- because they are what is truly important.
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