Birthday Blessings

"I would thank you from the bottom of my heart,
but for you my heart has no bottom." - Anon

Though my birthday was on Friday, celebrations continue. I had a wonderful weekend in Havelock being feted and spoiled by my family and friends. The weather was perfect, the presents embarrassingly abundant, every meal was a feast and there was no shortage of champagne. What more could a birthday girl ask?

A couple of weeks ago Judy booked me for a birthday dinner to be held tonight. She told me she was at an appointment in my neighbourhood today so she would pick me up for dinner. I asked where we were headed so I could ensure I was appropriately dressed but in reply was told just to dress comfortably and casually. Even enroute to dinner Judy declined to tell me where we were going but when we got a block from our friend Nancy's house, I figured out that was where we were going. I was greeted by Nancy and Josee and soon joined by our dear friend Samia. Birthday dinner with Judy turned into birthday dinner with the lovely women who mother Jacob's dearest friends. It seems the ladies had divided the work of dinner into courses and we were headed for a feast. Beautiful hors d'ovres were followed by an excellent main, a delicious salad and luscious cake. At the end of the meal I was showered with gifts. The whole night was a surprise. I absolutely loved it.

Tomorrow evening I will have a birthday dinner with my much younger friend Gail. She will make it a point (as she does every year) to tell everyone within earshot that it is her much older friend's birthday. After all, I have seven weeks on her. We will go to the Keg, sit on the patio and enjoy cocktails from the list of Keg specials. We'll talk about sampling many choices from the cocktail menu but we'll really each have only one and try not to fall asleep before we finish dinner.

When I was younger, I was happy to let my birthday pass quietly, celebrating the day with family. When July 2 passed, the celebration was done for another year. But when I hit fifty I started to feel differently about my birthday. The milestone year was, in my mind, certainly cause for a bigger celebration but I expected I would go back to my quiet observation the following year. So much happened in the year I was fifty that my perspective on my birthday changed. I hear people saying they've stopped counting birthdays as they don't want the reminder of aging. Some people tell me they just want their birthdays to pass without fanfare so they don't have to acknowledge the growing numbers of their age. But that isn't me. We all know there is only one alternative to aging. And I've been too close to the alternative to casually dismiss the gift of a birthday. So for however many more I get (and I hope there will be lots), I plan to celebrate each and every one.