After 32 years, I’ve finally figured out how to have a good birthday. I had a really great birthday today. Please don’t hold this against me but I used to spend my birthday waiting by the phone or e-mail, making a mental naughty and nice list of who remembered and who didn’t, feeling anti-climatic about my gifts, and sometimes feeling sorry for myself. SAD! Last year was a bad one. I cried all day about my mom and felt sad she wouldn’t call me and tell my birthday story. It was our tradition every year.
So to combat the immaturity of it all, I decided to turn to gratitude. What is a birthday after all but marking the passing of the day I was born. And, oh how glad I am that I was born. Especially when I get to live with the people I love the most every day. So to celebrate my birthday, everyone got their own gifts and I did a couple of other secret niceties for other people. How refreshing to take the spotlight off myself.
Jeff took the day off work and let me have a nap. I know this improved my mood by 100%. I don’t think I’ve had a nap in weeks. I also got a bouquet of flowers from Jeff/Nicky. They both claim the flowers are from themselves and not the other one. I guess it is sort of two for one deal or they had the same idea and condensed the gift. Jeff kept telling me I had messed up and I was really turning 33. Sadly I believed him for a few minutes. So mean! Jeff and I just got back from Islands where we ate too many fries and way too much spinach artichoke dip. The best gift is getting to spend time with him alone.
Thank you to those who remembered my birthday and called, texted, facebooked, or gifted. I wasn’t keeping my mental list this year but it was sure nice to be remembered. And to those who forgot or are reminded by this blog, I really love happy birthday comments. So if you can leave one here, I will get a big smile.
Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll leave a poem I wrote sort of for my mom. It’s a little over the top probably but I was feeling like that when I wrote it. I did have one moment of tears for her today.
So to combat the immaturity of it all, I decided to turn to gratitude. What is a birthday after all but marking the passing of the day I was born. And, oh how glad I am that I was born. Especially when I get to live with the people I love the most every day. So to celebrate my birthday, everyone got their own gifts and I did a couple of other secret niceties for other people. How refreshing to take the spotlight off myself.
Jeff took the day off work and let me have a nap. I know this improved my mood by 100%. I don’t think I’ve had a nap in weeks. I also got a bouquet of flowers from Jeff/Nicky. They both claim the flowers are from themselves and not the other one. I guess it is sort of two for one deal or they had the same idea and condensed the gift. Jeff kept telling me I had messed up and I was really turning 33. Sadly I believed him for a few minutes. So mean! Jeff and I just got back from Islands where we ate too many fries and way too much spinach artichoke dip. The best gift is getting to spend time with him alone.
Thank you to those who remembered my birthday and called, texted, facebooked, or gifted. I wasn’t keeping my mental list this year but it was sure nice to be remembered. And to those who forgot or are reminded by this blog, I really love happy birthday comments. So if you can leave one here, I will get a big smile.
Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll leave a poem I wrote sort of for my mom. It’s a little over the top probably but I was feeling like that when I wrote it. I did have one moment of tears for her today.
To Mom
Of Mom my birthday reminds
Memories with her of all different kinds
My birthday a symbol of her giving
A life I am blessed to now be living
My first birthday, our eyes met
She not knowing this baby yet
Years fly by so much unknown
Who will she be when she is grown?
Your gift to me is now my gift to you
I will bless your name with what I can do
My hands will work my knees will pray
I will bring kindness in the words that I say
Where you were weak, I will be strong
I will build up and I will belong
My memories remain though yours grow weak
Of your life to my children, I always will speak
Today I turn older, I’m thirty two
Another birthday where I won’t hear from you
I’ll honor your gift, I will give to others
And hold you in my heart above all other mothers
Memories with her of all different kinds
My birthday a symbol of her giving
A life I am blessed to now be living
My first birthday, our eyes met
She not knowing this baby yet
Years fly by so much unknown
Who will she be when she is grown?
Your gift to me is now my gift to you
I will bless your name with what I can do
My hands will work my knees will pray
I will bring kindness in the words that I say
Where you were weak, I will be strong
I will build up and I will belong
My memories remain though yours grow weak
Of your life to my children, I always will speak
Today I turn older, I’m thirty two
Another birthday where I won’t hear from you
I’ll honor your gift, I will give to others
And hold you in my heart above all other mothers
14 comments:
Hey, Happy Birthday!
I remembered but I did not send your card until yesterday so sorry it is a bit late. I am bad with the phone but you will get to keep celebrating when you get the card. :) Hope it was a good day for you!
Happy B-day!!! Very sweet poem. And I LOVE that you got a nap!
Happy Birthday!! I love that you got other people gifts! That's a good way to celebrate!!
A friend of mine invites someone to lunch for her birthday. I think I am going to try your theory out this next year. So glad to find your blog and keep in touch again. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
I'm glad to hear you had a great day! I love the idea of sharing the joy and giving to others. You are alway so giving anyway. You are such a talented poet!
Happy Birthday! I'm a summer baby, too! Maybe for my birthday I'll try the giving thing. And what a touching poem!
I'm so glad you had a good day yesterday. I wish I could have been there. I spoke to Dan last night and he's more than willing to babysit with me while you guys go out one night. I really loved your beautiful poem. I cried as much as I just did to that P.S. I love you movie! I love you Missy, and I'm so thankful you were born! You've been a wonderful sister to me.
A very happy birhtday to you! I'm glad you had a good day. I believe in long birthday weeks, so I hope you have a great one!
Hello, you don't know me - I am from CT and stumbled upon your blog a few months ago. I like it because you are honest no matter how difficult. And I respect that very much. I think we are probably pretty different in our beliefs (I respect that too). I guess it is nice to get a view of other's lives. I wanted to tell you that I have a friend who lost her mother when she was very young. It made me appreciate my mother even more so - every day that I get to talk to her - not to take it for granted. I send her flowers on MY birthday (she did all the work). It is my thank you to her. I think your poem is beautiful and a wnderful goft for your mother and for you. Thank you so much for sharing it. And even though I am late - Happy, Happy Birthday. I hope you have a wonderful year.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!!!! and lots of love from Pullman, Washington!
P.S. You look great! All tan and slender!
So glad your birthday was a good one. I loved the poem you wrote. It totally made me cry!
Happy Birthday! I am definitely late, but am so glad that you had such a wonderful day. And I have to agree- a nap is the best birthday present ever, aside from a clean house :)
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