7. Day 7: Happy Birthday To Me!

You know the coolest thing about birthdays?  They are a great way to take an honesty break and really notice your life.  I can acknowledge where I am and what I am doing.  I can notice what I love (or don’t love) in my life.  I love birthdays (of course;) for many reasons but one of the best things is that past/present/future game we get to play.   For instance, for my 18th birthday my brother was in the hospital with nearly fatal appendicitis.  My parents and I (mostly my parents as I was still in school) did not leave his side.  My Dad took me aside and gave me his credit card and said “Honey, why don’t you take a girl friend and go and buy yourself something fun for your birthday?” Since my parents shielded me from the dire threat my brother was under I quipped a sassy “Should I buy myself a card too?”  I think my Dad grinned but was not entirely amused.

I had another very memorable birthday, again involving my brother, twenty years ago.  My dear brother and his wife brought twin boys into the world on October 6, but I was living in Australia at the time so, for me, it was Oct 7!  I always love to remember the joy of hearing the news that day and how, even though we were 12,000 miles away, we cracked open a bottle of champagne and celebrated. Though our birthdays are one day apart in the USA, I still think of us sharing the same day.

My husband surprised me with a beautiful 30th birthday when we lived in Canberra.  I was given a program of events and the day included breakfast in bed, jewelry, a fabulous flower show in Australia’s national capital and a private dinner in the Officers’ Mess at Duntroon House.  I spent many a birthday without my husband since October was a big field exercise time of year for the Australian Army.  What I loved about this was that I learned how to celebrate myself.  Instead of moping that no one was there to celebrate, I would get dressed up and get my nails done or my car washed.  Invite friends to lunch and tell everyone I met it was my birthday.  Naturally

Mariemont Moms ROCK!

everyone joined in the festivity of the day.  As our children came along my birthdays included precious handmade cards, special breakfasts in bed and always a day to choose whatever I wanted to do.  I have been in conferences on my birthday, working a Junior League fundraiser, kicking off a BNI chapter (Hello Mountain High!), traveling, sick, happy, well, sad, tired and excited.  Birthdays come and go kind of life and thoughts do.  I can choose to allow, welcome, join, celebrate or ignore, be afraid of or deny them.

Since my youngest was in elementary school I have been gathering with four other moms to celebrate each of our birthdays.  It so happens that three of us have October birthdays (5,6,7) and that has become a favorite ritual to gather with dear friends and catch up with all our doings.

For the last few years I have had extra long quiet times with Holy Spirit to ask and listen for what my best intentions are for the coming year.  It is a delicious time for I allow such self love on my birthday, perhaps more so than on other days I think.  I take time for gratitude and give myself the gift of writing love lists of the abundance in my life and in my heart.  This year, I can list honesty as one of the gifts I have given myself.  This practice of honesty, is already saving me time, heart ache and explanation.

Birthdays remind us of innocence, grace, eternity and celebration.  Next time you have your birthday, be honest. Look at your life and give thanks and welcome it all.  If you want to experience something different next year, ask the Holy Spirit to help you set and keep aware of your intention of joy and change.

Thanks for celebrating my birthday with me by reading!  YOU are one of the loves I give great thanks for.