"Today is my birthday!"

"Today is my birthday!" I've been happily telling everyone today (Friday, February 15). I've just felt so glowingly happy today, like a 7-year-old at her birthday party. I brought brownies in to work and asked everyone to help me celebrate my birthday. I got such nice notes and in-person birthday wishes from folks. Our Flex programming superstar even brought me a Starbucks mocha and a hug. *smile*

Daughter and granddaughters all sent birthday wishes. Daughter's went someting like "Happy birthday to you! cha-cha-cha! Happy birthday to you! cha-cha-cha! ... " and ended with "Smooches!" The grands love those Hoops and Yo-Yo Hallmark e-cards, so I got some great chuckles from the e-cards they sent, too. (I'm grinning right now; those cards are so silly-silly, you can't help it. Go take a look ... ) My brothers, my dad, cousins, various friends - all sent greetings, cards, gifts. I belong to an online group and the great members there posted absolutely wonderfully uplifting greetings! Those really gave a lift to my heart today, too!

I worked until 7:30, then went to church for a Lenten presentation on living your faith out loud. It started at 7, so I missed nearly an hour of it, but the last hour was pretty wonderful. Very entertaining talk by an enormously entertaining Irish priest. Irish priests always seem to be able to tell the best stories! My dear friend was there; my goddaughter (her daughter) was there, too, and I told my goddaughter's friends "Today's my birthday!" and they laughed and gave me hugs, too.

The priest told a story that pretty much sums up the way I've felt today, a story about the real gifts a person receives. The good wishes, the books, CDs, cards, gift baskets - they aren't the real gift. They are expressions of the real gift. The real gift is the thoughtfulness of others, the time and care they took to extend themselves to me. They could have continued about their day with no harm done. But, instead, they reached out with thoughtful kindness and expressed the loveliest sentiments; they took a moment to engage with another human being to try to make a person happy and bring a smile to my face. The human family is just pretty darned wonderful.

For years, I never made a big deal about my birthday - seldom told anyone, barely acknowledged it myself. Boy, was I missing out! For the last couple of years, I've been celebrating and telling everyone with excitement "Today is my birthday!" There is so much joy in saying that and in seeing others engage in the excitement of a birthday. I think people actually like to wish others a "Happy Birthday!" You can't tell someone "Happy Birthday!" without smiling yourself! It's just such a warm fuzzy, isn't it?

It's just been a marvelous day, from beginning to end. Happy Birthday to me! yay! yay!