This week I am celebrating my birthday with a busy and exciting schedule, beginning with a Paul McCartney concert and culminating in a trip to Denver. As a gift to myself, I am freeing the calendar again this week by sharing the following birthday essay I wrote several years ago.
I think I caught a twinkle in his eye. "Really? Do we celebrate those anymore?" I had just raised the subject of what we might do on my birthday this year. My resounding answer was "Yes!"
Yes! I am always scanning the horizon for excuses to play, to launch an adventure, to eat and drink something special in a new place. My birthday is well suited to celebration, coming in midsummer when outdoor opportunities abound. It usually includes a trip or a hike, and always a component of ice cream and beer. Of course we celebrate our birthdays! Why not?
When I look around, I see that some people say, "No." Birthdays are for children. Don't make a fuss over me. I don't need any more things. My favorite foods are all off-limits these days. Most of all, I don't want to acknowledge the accumulation of years. I don't want others to know, and I don't want to admit how old I really am.
Sixty-six. It was a big number that year (and has grown since). The lives of my parents ended much earlier than that. News reporters describe my age group as "elderly." All of the senior discounts lie within my grasp. My AARP card is yellowed and frayed with age; even the Medicare card shows signs of wear. Body parts grumble, "Nothing lasts forever." However, Yes! I do still celebrate my birthday. It is about more than the hike, the ice cream, and the beer. Above all, I celebrate the gift of life and thank those who made it possible.
I celebrate my parents, who had married secretly and for whom my appearance blew their cover. They welcomed me anyway. My father, at 48, did not expect another child. He bought me a football before I was born and cradled me anyway. As a young widow and single parent, my mother was tempted to hold me close, but she sent me away to college anyway.
I celebrate my husband and our son, who have provided a supportive family circle since my mother died. Lyle and Jonathan (and now Jennie) are my emotional base camp of safety and support. I celebrate the friends who provide a loving network of encouragement.
I give thanks for the wisdom teachers who help me see life as a meaningful journey. I celebrate the Higher Power from whose generous hand my life emerged on earth so many years ago. Yes I want to celebrate! I want to take a hike, have dinner at a new restaurant, and stop by a new craft brewery on the way home. And, of course, I want ice cream to top it all off!
How do you like to celebrate your birthday? And why?
