A Little Birthday Reflection

Yesterday was my birthday. It wasn’t a special milestone, but every birthday feels significant to me. And every birthday offers a chance to pause and reflect on who I am, why I’m here, and how blessed I am.

I didn’t plan anything special for my day, except to take the day off of work. I don’t usually do that just for me, but I do try to do that on my birthday. It gives me the time and space to receive the wonderful, thoughtful birthday greetings from the people in my life, and I love that. Hearing from people you care about on your birthday is so fantastic.

A few highlights:

Crab Cakes

My husband and sons took me out for crab cakes at Pappas to start it all off on my birthday eve.

With crab cakes like that, that might have been enough of a celebration, honestly.

But then…

Daily Mass

I was excited to go to Mass on the Feast of St. Joachim and Anne, Mary’s parents and Jesus’ grandparents. Anne is my confirmation saint, and I have asked her to intercede for me over the years. It was such a gift to get to Mass to pray for our parents and grandparents and all the other intentions we are carrying with us.

There is nothing like going to Mass on your birthday to fill your heart with gratitude. I left with my cup overflowing.

Grocery Store

I stopped at the grocery store to buy a few things, and I happened to see the cashier I wrote about in “The Winner Is You.” I haven’t seen him since that was published, and I have been meaning to bring a copy of the column to him. But I keep forgetting, and I don’t know his shifts.

But he was there! On my birthday! So, I got in his line, and he said, “There’s the lady that wrote about me!”

I told him how happy I was that he had seen it and thanked him for being so wonderful. I told him that people reached out to me and said, “Do you mean Eric at the Giant?” and I could tell he was really touched.

He rang me up and said, “All right, well, we have a winner, and the winner is you!”

And I felt like a winner in every way.

Birthday Buddy Visit

I picked up a card and a little something for the receptionist at our orthodontist’s office who shares my birthday. We discovered this months ago and thought it was so much fun. One of the other receptionists has my younger son’s birthday, which has to be unlikely in the grand scheme of things.

Anyway, I dropped off my surprise to her, and she was so excited to see me. She wished me a happy birthday immediately because birthday buddies remember that you are birthday buddies. It was so much fun to make that part of my day.

Lunch with a Friend

I met my friend Katie for lunch, and she came bearing gifts, including homemade cookies, and she was so excited to see me. We had the best time and could have talked all afternoon. Our waitress wanted to know how long we had known each other, which is basically forever, and how we are connected—godmothers to each other’s children and all. It was such a treat.

Haircut

I have been wanting to get my hair cut, but it’s so hard to fit that into the day. And I never think to plan ahead or make an appointment. But it was my birthday! The world was at work or away! So, I walked in, got an appointment, and told the stylist to cut away.

He probably cut nine or ten inches while he told me about his cruise, which he had taken on his birthday in June. We talked a lot about his birthday, which he loves celebrating—all without my stealing his thunder by revealing that it was, in fact, my birthday.

I thought, as I have so many times, that summer birthday people really do love their birthdays, and thank you for loving us so much even with this aspect of our personalities.

To quote someone in my household who shall remain anonymous, “Mom, you do know that it’s called a birthday. It’s just a day.”

But, of course, it is the most fantastic day.

Dinner

The day before my birthday I called my mother and asked whether she would like to have me and John and our younger son over for my birthday dinner, and she was thrilled. She invited my sister Treasa and brother-in-law, George, and their five children to come, too. My sister Maureen and her crew called during the birthday singing and sang to me from New York.

It was a delicious and festive meal with a chocolate-frosted cake, and then there were presents—all just right. Celebrating my birthday with my parents always reminds me of my much younger birthdays. So, maybe it felt a little like turning 7 in the best ways, but then it also felt even more like turning 47, with a heart full of gratitude and a life that is abundant in blessings, and so much wonder that anyone might read this much about my birthday.

I am so grateful for my family and friends and for you, dear reader. Every day is a gift, and today we get to do it all again.

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