Birthday reflections....
I'm celebrating again!! (Isn't life good?) Today a few short years ago, my Mama gave birth to the curly-haired little girl that she asked God for. All 4 lbs 10 oz. of me. She has told me before that of us 3 kids, I was the only one that was planned. ;) (I wish you could hear the uproarious laughter ricocheting around my head right now!!) That was a shot across the bow of my sibs to see if they really are reading this blog.
I love birthdays. They hold so much promise! They are my own personal little New Year. A chance to examine and tweak goals, make resolutions, and celebrate the goals met over the past year. And my parents saw fit to have me at the time of year when the world is exploding in color and the sun still shines. I AM SO BLESSED!
Our family is big on Birthdays. Not in the gift sense, but in the richness of quality time spent together and in experiences with each other. We LOVE hanging out together. A birthday just gives us an excuse to find each other during a busy week and check in while doing something special.
My daughter celebrates her birthday 3 days after mine. Amazingly she was due on MY birthday, but held off on her appearance long enough to ensure that each of us got our own special birthday time. Consequently, we usually spend a whole week doing fun things together...just cause. Yesterday my sister and niece made the long drive from their home East of the mountains to spend the day with my daughter and I in the city. Oh the fun we had. We took Pike Place Market by storm. There is more than a small family resemblance between all of us and I could see several of the vendors over the course of the day staring at us, trying to make the connection. (either that or willing us to lower our voices...!) We noshed and browsed through all our favorite haunts and spent all day catching up. It was exactly what I wanted as a birthday gift. Time with loved ones. The older I get, the more precious that is.
My favorite Irish Birthday Blessing goes like this. "May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand." I think that about covers it! Reading that just gives me a cozy feeling inside...which leads me to my present location. My daughter researched and found us a new little coffee café to tuck into. It fits the bill to a tee. Here we are, each settled into our own padded chair, sipping bulletproof coffee of all things (mad props to the proprietor for being forward thinking!), nibbling on bagels and reading/writing/musing as we listen to a pleasingly calm mix of Indie Folk music. Perfection.
It is my opinion that people that dread birthdays or say that they don't celebrate them are really missing out. You have a whole day to step outside your normal, dream a bit more than usual, take great care of you. I realize that I'm at a point in the life of my family right now where my kids are near grown and I have a bit more free time than I have in the past. I remember the busy days of their childhood where my biggest fantasy was for all of us to take a nap at the same time. If you are in a busy busy season of your life, you can still take just a few minutes all to yourself to look in the mirror and say "Happy Birthday You!! You've made it through some challenging times this year and yet here you are, staring back at me, a smile on your face! You go! Go conquer! Good for you for pushing through the tough times and looking for that silver lining! Keep it up!!" That whole little self-love episode took about 3 minutes. And could make the whole difference in your outlook! Do it for you. :)
So - on the way to this coffee nest, I pulled the car over to where a beautiful tree that we pass often had laid down a perfect golden leaf pile for us to play in. My daughter and I leaped out of the car and charged through the pile laughing and kicking and raining down leaves the color of sunlight onto each others heads. So fun. So simple. But we made a memory. And we appreciated how God had inspired that little tree to make us a perfect play pile. :) I love us. Some dainty girls stop and smell the roses. But Perry girls belly laugh and plow through leaf piles without apology.
Thanks for letting me prattle on. You all are a part of my journey. I have a whole afternoon to look forward to on this my special day. I have plans for meeting up with friends, then dinner with more friends...all in all it makes for a lovely day. Next time your birthday rolls around, go find your personal leaf pile and enjoy it to the fullest. Whimsy keeps us young.
Make it a great day!!
I love birthdays. They hold so much promise! They are my own personal little New Year. A chance to examine and tweak goals, make resolutions, and celebrate the goals met over the past year. And my parents saw fit to have me at the time of year when the world is exploding in color and the sun still shines. I AM SO BLESSED!
Our family is big on Birthdays. Not in the gift sense, but in the richness of quality time spent together and in experiences with each other. We LOVE hanging out together. A birthday just gives us an excuse to find each other during a busy week and check in while doing something special.
My daughter celebrates her birthday 3 days after mine. Amazingly she was due on MY birthday, but held off on her appearance long enough to ensure that each of us got our own special birthday time. Consequently, we usually spend a whole week doing fun things together...just cause. Yesterday my sister and niece made the long drive from their home East of the mountains to spend the day with my daughter and I in the city. Oh the fun we had. We took Pike Place Market by storm. There is more than a small family resemblance between all of us and I could see several of the vendors over the course of the day staring at us, trying to make the connection. (either that or willing us to lower our voices...!) We noshed and browsed through all our favorite haunts and spent all day catching up. It was exactly what I wanted as a birthday gift. Time with loved ones. The older I get, the more precious that is.
My favorite Irish Birthday Blessing goes like this. "May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand." I think that about covers it! Reading that just gives me a cozy feeling inside...which leads me to my present location. My daughter researched and found us a new little coffee café to tuck into. It fits the bill to a tee. Here we are, each settled into our own padded chair, sipping bulletproof coffee of all things (mad props to the proprietor for being forward thinking!), nibbling on bagels and reading/writing/musing as we listen to a pleasingly calm mix of Indie Folk music. Perfection.
It is my opinion that people that dread birthdays or say that they don't celebrate them are really missing out. You have a whole day to step outside your normal, dream a bit more than usual, take great care of you. I realize that I'm at a point in the life of my family right now where my kids are near grown and I have a bit more free time than I have in the past. I remember the busy days of their childhood where my biggest fantasy was for all of us to take a nap at the same time. If you are in a busy busy season of your life, you can still take just a few minutes all to yourself to look in the mirror and say "Happy Birthday You!! You've made it through some challenging times this year and yet here you are, staring back at me, a smile on your face! You go! Go conquer! Good for you for pushing through the tough times and looking for that silver lining! Keep it up!!" That whole little self-love episode took about 3 minutes. And could make the whole difference in your outlook! Do it for you. :)
So - on the way to this coffee nest, I pulled the car over to where a beautiful tree that we pass often had laid down a perfect golden leaf pile for us to play in. My daughter and I leaped out of the car and charged through the pile laughing and kicking and raining down leaves the color of sunlight onto each others heads. So fun. So simple. But we made a memory. And we appreciated how God had inspired that little tree to make us a perfect play pile. :) I love us. Some dainty girls stop and smell the roses. But Perry girls belly laugh and plow through leaf piles without apology.
Thanks for letting me prattle on. You all are a part of my journey. I have a whole afternoon to look forward to on this my special day. I have plans for meeting up with friends, then dinner with more friends...all in all it makes for a lovely day. Next time your birthday rolls around, go find your personal leaf pile and enjoy it to the fullest. Whimsy keeps us young.
Make it a great day!!
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